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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23860603">Fleeting Fantasies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmternalSummers/pseuds/EmternalSummers'>EmternalSummers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NINE PERCENT (Band), 乐华七子NEXT | NEX7, 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cameos from various boys, Crossdressing, Death, Fighting, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Monsters, Not Modern, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Tags subject to changes and addtions, Unbeta'd, relationships everywhere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23860603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmternalSummers/pseuds/EmternalSummers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zhengting is the decendent of an ancient line of magic users that have seemed to go nearly extinct from the land. To hide his abilities from the world, his family settled in a remote town to protect him. Now, alone and years later, Zhengting feels the urge to go beyond the town walls and see what else is out there in the world, but has no good reason to do so. That is, until a mercenary band visits his town and one of them just happens to catch his attention. Now, Zhengting finds himself going further than he ever has before, meeting new people and figuring out just who he really is.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bi Wenjun/Zhu Zhengting | Jung Jung, Fan Chengcheng/Huang Minghao | Justin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Sudden Farwell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi all! Before I start, I want to say I will not abandon my other fics! I've just had a lot going on in terms of classes and a new puppy, but right now my inspiration is really strong for this fic! I will go back to them one day, but for now this fic will probably be my main focus.<br/>Other than that, I want to say welcome! Inspiration from this fic comes from things like the Final Fantasy Series and Dungeon and Dragons, so keep those fantasy RPG like elements in mind when reading if you can! I feel like it really helps the mood, haha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy and can follow me on this journey through a new world! Happy reading~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting didn’t have much going for him in life. He spent his days working at an inn during the day, at a connected bar during the night, and somehow managed to squeeze in a few hours of sleep in between. It was easy enough, with it only being him he had to take care of. He learned from an early age that it was easier if he stayed alone for himself and everyone around him, even if he craved to have a family of his own.</p><p>Instead, Zhengting would try to solve this craving for human affection with other men, going out into the streets and inviting them into bed. He knew he was attractive enough to get whoever pleased his fancy, but at the end of each meeting, he felt hollow after. They were using him for the same reason he was using them: No strings attached, just the feeling of flesh against flesh and the fleeting feeling of being loved by someone.</p><p>But, there were nights where Zhengting preferred to be alone with his thoughts. Sometimes after a particularly stressful week of work, he would find himself sitting on the roof of the inn and staring up at the night sky. The streets below were typically empty during this time. The drunks were either asleep in the bars or somehow found their way home and the people who awoke early still had a few hours until the sun rose. Zhengting treasured these nights where it was just him and the sky.</p><p>Though, he felt as though tonight was not going to be one of those nights. A band of mercenaries had come into town, not only causing a ruckus at the inn, but raiding the bar for every ounce beer and mead they had. Of course, there were a few regulars who sat to the side of the bar, but beyond that, the whole place was filled with the savage fighters.</p><p>“Oi, pretty boy! Two more pints over here!” Zhengting sighed as he was called from the other side of the room, his tray already filled with empty pint glasses. The barkeep, a cool and quiet man by the name of Xingjie, seemed just as irked as Zhengting. He slid over the two drinks with a shake of his head.</p><p>“We can kick them out at midnight, right?” Zhengting asked, but was met with a sad laugh from Xingjie, who merely shook his head.</p><p>“The money is too good, Zhengting. We might be staying open a bit late tonight.”</p><p>With a sigh, Zhengting weaved his way through the tables to reach to one that had originally called out to him. There were four men talking jovially around it with a fifth there as well. He sipped on his drink quietly, watching the other members of the group take the two newly offered drinks.</p><p>“So, there we were, outside the cave. In it was the biggest cyclops I’d ever lay my eyes on,” one of the members was detailing a particularly bloody battle as Zhengting walked over and placed the drinks down. He tried his best to walk away and collect any empty pitchers, but instead felt an arm snake its way around his waist and pull him down onto someone’s lap.</p><p>“Hey, don’t leave just yet, pretty boy! Listen ‘ere to what real men do!” The men at the table laughed, causing Zhengting to roll his eyes. Instead, he pried the arm off of him and offered the men a sweet smile. Internally, however, he was thinking of all the ways he could possibly murder them.</p><p>“Sorry about that, sir, but I’m currently working. The stories will have to come at another time.” Zhengting turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring whatever else the mercenary shouted at him. He opened and closed his hands into small fists, letting out a sigh as he tried his best to not punch one of the men in the face.</p><p>After collecting himself, Zhengting put back on his fake smile and went back to serving one table after another. He couldn’t even take a break with the amount of alcohol the mercenaries were consuming, his feet begging for some relief the more he walked to and from the bar. At some point in the night, the drink requests seemed to lessen. Many of the mercenaries had become drunk beyond comprehension or simply blacked out on the tables. Both situations made it difficult to order more drinks, which left Zhengting enough time to take a seat behind the bar.</p><p>“Xingjie, I don’t want to work anymore,” Zhengting whined, stretching his back out on the stool. “I need to go to bed.”</p><p>“Well then, if you need a bed, mine is open, pretty boy,” the same mercenary that was trying to hit on Zhengting earlier was now slurring in front of the bar. He gave Zhengting an appreciative once over, grinning as he settled his gaze on Zhengting’s face. “I usually go for boys with a bit more down there, but your face is pretty nice.”</p><p>Zhengting felt himself bristle, his smiling only thinly veiling his want to stab a knife through the mercenary’s skull. “I thank you for the kind offer, but I have my own bed to sleep in. I wish you a good night.”</p><p>The man snorted before taking a final swig out of his pitcher and slamming it down on the counter. “Your loss, pretty boy.”</p><p>Zhengting watched as he kicked a few of the men up, having them collect the ones that were beyond saving that night. Meanwhile, the quiet one who was at the same man’s table walked over to the bar, nodding politely in Zhengting’s direction as he addressed Xingjie. As Zhengting got a better look at him, he noticed just how tall he was. A sword was attached at his hip with an intricately decorated handle, showing he must have held some sort of important position in the group. His armor, though mainly leather and chainmail like the other’s, had a hue of blue on it, setting it apart from the typical tans and browns most mercenaries wore. He was certainly special indeed.</p><p>As if to not make it too obvious he was ogling, Zhengting began to move among the tables, picking up the empty pitchers and keeping an eye on Xingjie and the mercenary.</p><p>“I’m here to pay the tab,” the tall mercenary said softly, his voice rather soothing compared to most of the others that were in here earlier. Zhengting was surprised that someone as soft spoken as him was in that rag-tag group.</p><p>“You’re the poor money boy, huh?” Xingjie asked, placing down the glass he was cleaning. He pulled a piece of paper out from under the counter where he kept count of how many beverages were ordered throughout the night. “Your total comes to 56 gold pieces for tonight.”</p><p>The mercenarie's face paled slightly at the number, but nonetheless he pulled out a hefty bag of coins and plopped them on the counter. He began to shell out the intended amount, counting softly under his breath. Zhengting chuckled, knowing the amount Xingjie gave him was probably more than what their drinks normally cost. With guests as rowdy as a whole group of mercenaries, there was always an “annoyance fee”, as he called it. The louder and rowdier you are, the more your drinks are. Simple enough.</p><p>Soon enough, the money was processed and Xingjie bid the tall mercenary a farewell. Zhengting had been busy dragging one of the drunkards out when the same mercenary paused and looked around. There were still two more bodies laying out along the floor. Without another word, he went over to them and began to drag them out the door. When Zhengting came back in, he looked startled to see the taller being responsible for the others.</p><p>“I-I didn’t know what to do with the others, so I just put them outside,” Zhengting sputtered as the mercenary walked up to him. He only nodded and muttered a quiet thank you as he dragged the other two outside. Zhengting waited a moment before scurrying to lock the door, giving a few good turns to be sure it was locked properly. It was after a big crowd that thieves liked to come in and steal whatever money the bar keepers had made that night. It had been attempted on their tavern several times before and Zhengting honestly wasn’t in the mood for it now.</p><p>“Clean the floor and you’re good for tonight, Zhengting,” Xingjie called from behind the bar. There was a small mountain of pitchers that needed to be cleaned, but Zhengting felt better cleaning the floor than touching the mysteriously smelly glasses.</p><p>“Thanks! That was a pretty shitty crowd tonight, don’t you think?” Zhengting said absently, getting the mop and bucket from the closet. Xingjie merely grunted in agreement, going to work on cleaning the pitchers. Zhengting sighed and began his own work in silence, getting the wooden floors as clean as he could with the pitiful amount of water from the bucket.</p><p>By the time half the floor was clean, Zhengting looked over to see the sizable dent Xingjie made in the pitchers. They were lined up along the backside of the bar, being left out to dry before the customers would come in the next evening. It was times like this Zhengting really hated his work. It seemed redundant and boring, but he knew someone had to do it. And he had to make money as well, seeing as though he had no other form of income.</p><p>Zhengting sighed and leaned on the mop, flexing one hand open and closed. A sudden grunt from Xingjie caught his attention, the barkeep glancing at Zhengting from over his shoulder. “You know, that doesn’t look like cleaning.”</p><p>Zhengting groaned loudly and began to sloppily clean the floor, as if the demonstration would save him from more work. “But Xingjie, I’m tired! I don’t want to work anymore!”</p><p>Xingjie merely shook his head sadly, placing one pitcher down a bit more harshly than the rest. “Zhengting, you and I both know that can’t happen. You just have to bear with it.”</p><p>Zhengting jumped slightly before grumbling to himself and going back to seriously scrubbing the floor. “Yeah yeah, I got it…”</p><p>By the time Zhengting finished that night, he felt more tired than ever. And, while he wanted to stare at the night sky beyond the roofs, he knew that he would kick himself the next day if he didn’t get any sleep. He bid Xingjie a farewell before heading towards the second floor of the bar. The only room that connected the bar to the inn was Zhengting’s bedroom. He was lucky enough that the real owner of the establishment, a kindly older man who went simply by the name of Jin, let him rest in the room. Living there meant a lowered pay to cover the cost of living as well as some food stuffs, but Zhengting would never once complain about it. It was better than living on the streets.</p><p>Settling into bed, Zhengting sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Tomorrow would be the same thing, as well as the day after and the day after that. He would never see beyond the walls of the inn and the tavern at this rate. And while his desire to go out and explore the world was something that couldn’t be quenched by this small town, he knew what Xingjie had told him over and over was right. It would be too dangerous out on his own. With a sigh, Zhengting shut his eyes in an attempt to sleep before the sun rose again and he started the day over.</p><p>As it turned out, that first night wasn’t the only one the mercenary group was staying for. Every morning, the soft spoken mercenary in blue would visit Zhengting at the front desk and repurchase the rooms they had rented out the night before. He told Zhengting he had no clue when they were leaving, but Zhengting didn’t mind. He came to enjoy the small little conversations between him and the taller male, bringing just a little more interest into his day.</p><p>They talked about simple things, the weather, the members of his group, or even about the two itself. Zhengting found listening to the other was soothing, his voice just deep enough to calm most of his anxieties about the day. On occasion, he spoke about some short adventures he had gone on, Zhengting entirely entranced by every word. Sadly, these conversations never lasted long enough, at least in Zhengting's opinion. His heart pulled as the blue clad mercenary would dip his head slightly and go out for the day with the rest of his group.</p><p>Even with the conversations with the only sensible mercenary, the only part of his day that really destroyed Zhengting was working in the tavern in the evenings. Night after night, he was to deliver pitcher after pitcher to whoever called out to him, ignoring all the jeers and touches along the way. It was infuriating for sure and he never thought about the need to hire an assassin more than when the group visited the tavern. About a week since they first got there, Zhengting felt himself reaching his limit.</p><p>He was practically dead on his feet, losing count of how many times he brought items over to the familiar table of five. The quiet mercenary never ordered much, but that didn’t stop his companions from ordering everything they wanted. Even things that weren’t on the menu, which annoyed Zhengting the most. They could be at least kind enough to respect their limited menu. Instead, they chose to make a fuss over it and complain about why they didn't have something, as if that would magically make it appear. He even got disgusting propositions from various members, this night being no different.</p><p>“So, pretty boy, let me tell you what. You join our group, hic, and I’ll set you up for life! No need to be doing this dumb bar maid shit. Plus, this whole package will be entirely yours,” he added, gesturing to his crotch. Zhengting inwardly shuddered, slamming the fresh pitcher down with a thin line of a smile.</p><p>“Sir, I understand your proposition, but I hope for the last time, you can understand me when I say that I do not want to take you up on your offer,” Zhengting managed to get out past gritted teeth. The mercenary rolled his eyes, swiping the drink off the table and taking a long swig from it.</p><p>“Fine then, pretty boy! Just you wait and see, soon enough you’ll be begging for this dick!” The other men at the table joined in with loud laughter, the only one not making much noise being Zhengting’s savior in blue.</p><p>“I highly doubt it,” Zhengting hissed before turning sharply on one heel and stalking back towards the bar. He swiped away at one hand that got a bit too close to him at one point and didn’t even bother to apologize. He was at his breaking point and if one more person even breathed near him, he was going to explode.</p><p>He sat down behind the bar, Xingjie as cool and collected as ever. The barkeep was wiping down some glasses while talking to a regular at the bar, a gentleman named Yankai, who had been kind enough to be Zhengting’s partner in bed on a few occasions.</p><p>“Zhengting, do you want me to say anything? I-I could claim I’m your boyfriend or something…” Yankai offered as Zhengting took a seat. The tired server merely shook his head before bringing it down onto the bar with a dull thud.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Yankai. Soon enough, they’ll all be gone and everything will be fine,” Zhengting said, moving so now it was just his chin resting on the bar. “Thanks, though.”</p><p>“N-No problem!” The man hid a small blush on his face by taking a sip of his drink. “But if I can help at all, let me know.”</p><p>“No offense, but I don’t believe that a general store owner could do much against a mercenary like him, never mind a whole group of them,” Xingjie said, raising one brow skeptically. “You’d need to borrow some serious power to take them down.”</p><p>Yankai merely sighed and shook his head, hanging it down slightly. “I know, I know. You don’t have to remind me.”</p><p>There was some commotion on the floor as some of the mercenaries began to shuffle out of the tavern. Table by table, they made their way out the door significantly earlier than their usual time. Zhengting watched Xingjie narrow his eyes, but say nothing about it. He felt his own unease, watching as the tavern was only filled with a few stragglers.</p><p>Yankai looked at the wall where a clock was ticking back and forth. He then looked back out over the floor before turning back towards the two workers.”Looks like tonight will be an early night. I guess I’ll go head home then,” he slid forward a silver piece to Xingjie before walking out of the tavern.</p><p>Soon, there were only a few mercenaries left, most of them moving closer together. Zhengting did his usual rounds of picking up the empty pitchers, trying his best to listen to the group sitting together. It proved fruitless though as they all seemed to quiet down each time he got too close.</p><p>Eventually, the usual closing hour was coming closer and Xingjie had politely told the group that they weren’t to get any more drinks. They took it surprisingly well, the group now tenderly sipping on the drinks they had left. Zhengting watched from behind the bar, arms crossed over his chest.</p><p>“You know, something about this whole thing seems sketchy,” he muttered to Xingjie. The barkeep merely shook his head, trying not to show his own worries.</p><p>“We don’t do anything until they do something that warrants it, got it?” Xingjie said evenly, only to be met with a grunt from Zhengting. The two began to work on washing the pitchers when the sound of light armor clinking together was heard. Placing one hand on Xingjie’s shoulder, Zhengting slid towards the register where he was met with the mercenary in blue, flanked by the few remaining others.</p><p>“Are you finished for the night?” He asked with a kind grin on his face, only addressing the one in blue. He seemed to fidget slightly, not quite meeting Zhengting’s gaze.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. How much is it tonight?” Zhengting hummed as he pulled the tab towards himself and counted the amount of drinks ordered before a hand firmly gripped his wrist. Well, not that he really knew how to count that well, he would just charge a few extra pieces than what Xingjie typically asked for.</p><p>“Now, now, there’s no need for you to do that, pretty boy. Why don’t you give us a discount since we’ve been such good customers?” The seedy mercenary who had been bothering Zhengting all week reached forward to take Zhengting’s hand in his, a grin stretched across his face. “Besides, I’m sure there are other ways we could pay…”</p><p>Zhengting snatched his hand away, and fixed a glare on the mercenary. “Sorry, but I don’t do that kind of transaction. Your total for tonight is 60 gold.”</p><p>The mercenary made a tutting noise, shaking his head and lifting Zhengting’s chin up with one finger. “I don’t think you understand pretty boy, you don’t have a choice…”</p><p>As if on cue, there was a scream from somewhere outside, the mercenaries not looking particularly interested in it. An orange glow began to emanate from beyond the door, only growing in size. Xingjie dropped a glass and dashed outside, the mercenaries forgotten about. Zhengting pushed away the hand before quickly following behind him.</p><p>Once in the street, they were met with a roaring flame. Several mercenaries were rushing out of the inn, arms filled with gold and silver and other various items from the other inhabitants. The fire spread throughout the inn, even spreading towards the neighboring houses. There were several people screaming as the mercenaries dashed past them, their houses in flames or goods being taken. It had turned into a complete raid in a matter of seconds, people going into fight or flight mode</p><p>Zhengting felt his arm grabbed by the lead mercenary, his grin not faltering. “See here? This is what you get for going against us. Now, you can’t escape me. Give it up, pretty boy,” came his sneer too close to Zhengting's ear for his liking.</p><p>“No, no… No, let me go,” Zhengting growled, trying to pull his arm free. It was fruitless, though, as the mercenary simply laughed at him. “Let me go you fucking asshole! You’ve taken it too far!”</p><p>Zhengting felt anger boil in his veins, power flowing through him. To the side, he could see that Xingjie was saying something to him, but it fell on deaf ears. Zhengting screamed as a jolt of electricity flew freely from his fingers, the grip on his arm releasing. There were more shouts, possibly directed towards Zhengting, but he couldn’t tell. Gathering energy towards his fingertips, a rush of clear water began to stream from Zhengting, who aimed it towards the fire. There was a hiss as the fire was gradually decreased, but the attempt was cut short.</p><p>Zhengting felt something crash into him, knocking him off his feet and onto the cobblestone street. The water was stopped, some of the remaining stream crashing down onto the street. Dazed, Zhengting looked up to see the mercenary in blue over him groaning slightly.</p><p>“Go… Run…” He said softly. Zhengting scrambled out from under him, only to see several arrows sticking out from his back. Two archers were standing on either side of the opposing mercenary. His face had warped into hatred and disgust as he glared at the man who shielded Zhengting.</p><p>“Wenjun you fucking traitor! How dare you cover for him! Don’t you know how much we could sell a magicant for!?” The lead mercenary was screeching at the blue one, now known as Wenjun, as he pushed himself off the ground. “You’re lucky your father isn’t here! He’d kill you in seconds!”</p><p>Wenjun now had soft streams of red going down his back, one arm held limply at his side from an arrow that landed in his shoulder. He stood up straight for a moment, staring the other mercenary in the eye despite the arrows trained on him from the archers.</p><p>“Let him do as he pleases. I am no son of his and he is no father of mine,” Wenjun declared with a head raised. Soon enough, the arrows that were notched and at the ready came flying right towards Wenjun, the mercenary closing his eyes in preparation.</p><p>Instead, the arrows never came to him, they went into something with a dull thunk. Wenjun opened his eyes to see what had stopped them and held back a gasp of shock.</p><p>Zhengting stood there, panting as a wall of pure ice seemed to come out of nowhere and stop the incoming arrows. He seemed unsteady on his feet as another jet of water came from his free side and successfully put out the flames. Another arrow flew towards them, but the ice wall simply lengthened to envelop them both.</p><p>Wenjun stood in shock as Zhengting went down onto one knee, taking in deep breaths. The magicant looked back, a tired grin on his face. “I can’t hold this up for much longer… Get ready to run.”</p><p>Wenjun paused and nodded, snapping off the shaft of the arrows that stuck to him, being sure to keep the heads in. They would limit his bleeding for now. “I’m ready when you are.”</p><p>Zhengting nodded and brought his hands together before pushing the ice out in splinters. The sharpened points found themselves lodged into many of the mercenaries or walls of nearby buildings. Taking Zhengting’s hand, Wenjun dragged the magicant into a nearby alleyway and towards the front gate of the town. He knew he just had to get to the stables and they’d be free.</p><p>They ran down the darkened streets, any lit torches only on the main roads. Occasionally, they were bathed in the dim light of the main road, but they kept mostly to the darkness. It didn’t help that Wenjun wasn’t exactly knowledgeable in the ways the streets of this town worked, but he knew the general direction they had to head in. Hopefully, getting there wouldn’t be too difficult.</p><p>“W-Wait! I can’t keep up…” Zhengting panted, stumbling behind Wenjun. Though slightly annoyed, Wenjun dragged Zhengting into a tight space between two of the buildings. He felt the arrow heads dig deeper into his back as they squeezed into the space, but tried to ignore the stinging pain they brought. Zhengting stood between his arms, heavily leaning on Wenjun for support. His face was flushed red as he tried to collect himself, but it was easy to see using that much magic, or whatever it was, had taken a lot out of him.</p><p>“Catch your breath, we’re headed to the stables,” Wenjun breathed into Zhengting’s ear, looking out from their hiding spot to see if anyone had followed them. He could hear some people in the distance, shouting either his name or something about the magicant. Zhengting stiffened in Wenjun’s arms, but refused to look into the mercenary’s eyes.</p><p>“Okay, I think I’m ready,” Zhengting whispered, though he looked nowhere near ready. His body was still shaking and his face had gone pale. Shaking his head, Wenjun slipped out of the alley before taking one of Zhengting’s arms and hauling the magicant over his good shoulder. Ignoring the sounds of mild protest, Wenjun began to head once more towards the stables. He was sure to not go too fast, his pace limited by both the man he was dragging and the pain in his back.</p><p>Wenjun knew his horse was being kept at the stable closest to the gate and all he had to do was get there before everyone caught up with them. Wenjun could feel himself faltering at this point, the weight of Zhengting and the blood loss making his head dizzy. It wasn’t long until the magicant had slipped from his grasp and lightly landed on the ground. Wenjun paused, ready to insist he was fine, but Zhengting merely smiled and shook his head.</p><p>Looping one arm over his shoulder, Zhengting supported Wenjun in return as they made their way through the mostly abandoned side street. There were diminishing voices in the distance, but Zhengting chose to ignore them in favor of getting them both to the stables. The building was right in front of them now, the horses whinnying as the sounds by the main street became louder and closer. Zhengting gritted his teeth as they got closer and closer, scanning the visible horses.</p><p>“The chestnut one… with white legs,” Wenjun said as they neared the stables. He was standing more on his own now, but was still struggling. “There, towards the end.”</p><p>Zhengting followed Wenjun’s finger to one horse that was trotting in place. It seemed to spy its rider, as they nearer the duo got, the more restless it seemed. Once there, however, the commotion that seemed to be following them stopped. The chants had grown silent and the glow of torches in the distance dimmed. Zhengting felt disturbed at the sudden silence, but chose not to say anything.</p><p>Instead, together they worked on undoing the reins from the horse and getting it out from the stall. It immediately went over and sniffed Wenjun, the mercenary cooing to calm it down. Zhengting watched from the entrance to the stall, a small grin on his face. Soon enough, the horse was out of the stable and ready to go. Wenjun motioned to Zhengting to get on.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Get on.”</p><p>“I’m not getting on, <em>you’re</em> getting on.”</p><p>“Just get up there!”</p><p>“No, I’m not leaving you here like that!”</p><p>“You idiot, we’re both getting on.”</p><p>“I am perfectly capable to stay- hey!” Zhengting let out a completely manly squeak as he felt Wenjun heave him up and onto the horse before following suit himself. The horse didn’t seem to mind the extra rider as Wenjun lightly tugged on the rein to guide it forwards. They slowly made their way to the main gate, the glow of torches becoming more apparent the closer they got. Sticking to the edge of one wall, they peeked at the entrance to the gate and realized why they hadn’t seen anything following them. The group was sitting in wait.</p><p>“Oi, Wenjun boy! Come out and hand over the magicant and I’m sure your father won’t be too pissed at ya!” The lead mercenary called out, sitting right in front of the gate. “I’m sure he’ll only take a finger or two! Once we sell him, I’m sure you will be able to afford new ones.”</p><p>“Your father?” Zhengting whispered, looking back at Wenjun. His mouth was in a tight line and the knuckles of his fingers turned almost white as his grip tightened on the reins.</p><p>“He’s the head of the group. Says his face is too noticeable, so he never goes into towns.” Wenjun paused, something flashing through his eyes. “Killed my mother.”</p><p>“O-Oh…” Zhengting nodded and turned his head back around. Now was probably the worst time to have asked about that, he realized. Who wants to give a family history lesson when you’re trying to escape? “Sorry…”</p><p>Wenjun merely shook his head, leaning forward. “No time to apologize. We have to think about how to get out.” Zhengting nodded in agreement, looking over the scene in front of them. The gate was heavily guarded by the members of Wenjun’s group, making it nearly impossible for anyone to make it through unnoticed, never mind two wanted men on horseback.</p><p>“No, it’s impossible, see? The gate is closed,” Zhengting pointed towards the area in the wall where large grates were separating the town from the outside world. He hears Wenjun curse above him, the mercenary letting out a defeated sigh.</p><p>“Then should we wait until morning? They can’t keep it closed forever.”</p><p>Zhengting looked back at Wenjun once more, knowing the arrows were still lodged in his back. The taller man’s face was pale now and it was obvious he was over exerting himself. He couldn’t wait until morning. They had to leave now or they would both be done for.</p><p>That was when a small sizzling noise caught both of their attention. A small ball dropped in the middle of the group, causing some of the men to go inspect it. Zhengting and Wenjun watched curiously as well, but not dared come out from their position behind a building. Then, as suddenly as the sizzling started, it stopped and the plaza in front of the gate was filled with gas. The men started coughing and a few fled the scene, heading deeper into town and past Zhengting and Wenjun. Those who were still in the plaza were too busy coughing to realize that the gate was slowly being opened behind them.</p><p>“Zhengting now!” A voice called out from the watchtower, catching both Zhengting and Wenjun’s attention. They couldn’t make out who it was, but they wasted no time in spurring Wenjun’s horse forward. It shot forward into the smoke, Wenjun doing his best to steer it in the direction of the opening gate. They were a little ways away from it and were going just fast enough to slip under it when they got there.</p><p>Several men screamed as they were trampled by the horse’s hooves, but neither of the men on its back seemed to care. It was difficult to see through the smoke, but they could hear the gate being lifted, someone rolling back the chains from the watchtower.</p><p>“They’re getting away! Shoot them!” The lead mercenary yelled before doubling over to cough.</p><p>Zhengting whipped his head around and felt the familiar crackle of energy at his fingertips as he was just able to make out where the lead mercenary was. There was crackling in the air before a jolt of lightning seemed to pierce through the air, sending the mercenary straight out of the smoke and crashing onto the side of a nearby building. The electricity radiated around as it struck him, rendering him and other nearby mercenaries paralyzed for the time being.</p><p>“Get fucked!” Zhengting yelled as they made their way under the gate, the metal bars lowering behind them, effectively trapping the mercenary group behind them. For added effect, he blew a raspberry over his shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from Wenjun. With the town growing further and further behind them, the two ran off into the unknown lands beyond the wall.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Outside World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Special thanks to my lovely friend who beta'd part of this chapter for me! If part of it looks better written than the rest, you'll know why :)<br/>Also, I wanted to draw people's attention to the Cloud Nine Fic Fest if you haven't seen it already. You can find more info about it here (https://twitter.com/cloud9ficfest) and prompting has begun! They're accepting prompts for Idol Producer and QCYN1&amp;2, so if you're interested at all, please give it a look!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting, now satisfied, turned around to face forward. He settled back and leaned on Wenjun as they galloped down the path. On either side of them was flush with greenery, detailing all sorts of grasses, bushes, and trees. The magicant watched with rapt attention as they ran by, never seeing this much from his dingy little stint in the city.</p>
<p>Eventually, Wenjun’s horse seemed to slow, having reached its limit. Going into a trot instead, Wenjun loosened his hands from the rein and drooped down onto Zhengting. Burying his head into the crook of Zhengting’s neck, the mercenary let out a deep sigh.</p>
<p>“Sorry… I just need a break…” He said softly, closing his eyes. Zhengting nodded and placed his hands over Wenjun’s on the reins.</p>
<p>“It’s okay. I can take over from here,” Zhengting said, watching as Wenjun’s hands moved from the reins to around his hips. They rested there, not holding on particularly tight, but being sure to keep firm.</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Zhengting knew he had to find at least some spot to rest at for the rest of the night. He could feel his own energy waning and Wenjun was already resting against him. Not to mention, they had to get those arrow heads out of him, lest infection begins to set in. They had come into a wooded section of the path, a dense canopy arching over the path. Any moonlight that might have made things easier to see was absent, only the slightly darker outlines of trees were just visible.</p>
<p>Zhengting was eventually able to see a break in the treeline, the trail heading deeper into the darkness. Narrowing his eyes, it was impossible to tell what was down it, but getting off the main path should be their priority. If they were being chased after, something like this would be for the best.</p>
<p>Tugging on the reins, Zhengting attempted to lead the horse in that general direction. At first, the horse refused to move down that way, whinnying and stepping back. So, Zhengting tried again. He got the same results once more, this time the horse going as far as to tug against Zhengting’s grip and continue forward for a few paces.</p>
<p>“C’mon you stupid horse…” Zhengting muttered, pulling on the reins once more. “Just… go… in!” Still, Wenjun’s horse refused to budge towards the new path, letting out a snort as if to say ‘<em>You can’t make me!</em>’</p>
<p>With a groan, Zhengting allowed a small flame to crackle in his hand. He could already feel his energy being sapped by the fire, but if it was going to be the only thing that made the horse go, he had to give it a shot. Casting the flame out in front of them, he focused on it as it floated down the footpath. It paused not too far away, as if it was waiting for them to get closer. Zhengting tugged on the reins yet again, this time the horse relenting and followed the flickering flame down the path.</p>
<p>Shadows swirled around them at every side, altering the woods and creating an atmosphere that creeped the magicant out. He kept the flame a bit closer, trying to cut down on the shadows that swirled around them, but somehow that made the feeling even worse. It felt like every little movement was something out to get them and he knew that neither him, nor Wenjun had any bit of energy to fight it off. With him being so unused to this kind of environment, everything seemed to look like it was about to jump out at them. He knew about monsters and the like, but never saw one in person. If he did now, Zhengting was positive it’d be the last thing he’d see before he died.</p>
<p>Eventually, the magicant’s overactive mind was put to rest as they entered a small clearing. A brook ran alongside one part of it and there was what seemed to be an old campfire in the center of it. Pulling the horse to a stop, Zhengting set his flame down in the old campfire, the logs springing back to life with a sharp snap. Wenjun seemed to rouse as they stopped, raising his head from Zhengting’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“An old campsite?”</p>
<p>“It was the best I could find,” Zhengting said with a shrug. It was followed up by a yawn as he slid off the horse. He stumbled slightly, legs nearly giving out under him, but he tried to recover quickly. He didn’t want Wenjun to think he was that useless.</p>
<p>“It’s never good to stay at these. Bandits like to frequent them,” he glanced around for a moment. “But I guess it will do for now,” Wenjun conceded, grunting as he slid off the horse. Zhengting helped him hobble over to one of the logs situated around the fire, setting the injured mercenary down against it. Wenjun groaned in pain, but seemed to relax as he was able to shift his weight onto the log.</p>
<p>“I’ll go get some more sticks for the fire. Stay here for now,” Zhengting said quickly. Getting up to turn to go deeper into the woods, his mind began to reel with everything that had happened in the past few hours. Making sure to keep the low glow of the fire in sight, he picked up what he assumed to be useful sticks and branches, becoming lost in his own thoughts.</p>
<p>Why was he staying with Wenjun? Granted Wenjun wasn’t the one who wanted Zhengting dead, he was still a mercenary. From the stories he heard, it seemed like mercenaries went after the same few things: money, women, and occasionally fame. If he were to turn Zhengting in, Wenjun could certainly have all of them lined up and ready to go. That thought made Zhengting shiver.</p>
<p>Back in town, Xingjie and Old Man Jin were the only two who knew his secret. Apparently, Old Man Jin was a friend of his parents and had raised Zhengting for years before vanishing, leaving Zhengting by himself. Even Jin had left town for some kind of meeting, leaving the inn and tavern behind for Zhengting to run. And Xingjie, who had been Zhengting’s friend for what seemed like years at this point, had once caught Zhengting using magic to clean one of the inn rooms after a particularly nasty guest. He didn’t make much mention of it and just let his friend know his secret was safe.</p>
<p>Xingjie! How could Zhengting have forgotten about him? The magicant hadn’t seen the barkeeper since the fire broke out and now Zhengting was off in who knows where without telling him a thing. A pang of guilt struck the magicant the more he thought about it. How could he have done that?</p>
<p>Dazed, Zhengting wandered into camp wondering about what he was about to do when he heard the rustling of something. Looking up, he saw Wenjun, now shirtless, going through one of the packs that was on his horse’s saddle. The arrows heads were freed from his back, but in their place were three significantly deep holes that were now oozing with blood.</p>
<p>“D-Do you want help?” Zhengting managed to squeak out, feeling himself go faint at the sight of blood freely flowing down the other’s back. He was never good with injuries like these.</p>
<p>“Hmm? Oh, no, I’ll be fine. Probably. I just need to find the bandages I know I put in Wei Chu’s saddle…” Wenjun didn’t even turn around to address Zhengting, instead pulling out a roll of white fabric from the saddle bag, followed by a small piece of metal, and finally a closed vial. “Here we go! Um, I just have a quick question. Do you mind holding this over the fire? Burning the edges of the wound will make it stop bleeding quicker, I think.”</p>
<p>“You <em>think</em>?” Zhengting choked out, dropping his pile of sticks. “I’ve never even heard of that!”</p>
<p>Wenjun shrugged and turned to walk towards Zhengting. His torso was covered in various scars and other patches of discolored skin from his years fighting in the sun. Zhengting was thankful for the cover of darkness that hid the blush from his face as Wenjun drew closer to him. The mercenary took a seat next to the fire and began to dip his fingers into a small, foul smelling vial, taking out some oddly colored paste. Zhengting felt himself recoil from the smell.</p>
<p>“What even is that?” The magicant asked, scooting closer to the mercenary, but regretted it instantly. The stuff was foul. Wenjun looked up, his own face showing disdain for the smell.</p>
<p>“An ointment to help with injuries. The healer always put this stuff on and burnt it. They said it works as a sealant to protect the wound or something. It always worked well, so I never questioned it,” Wenjun responded before putting a good heap of the stuff on the only reachable hole by his shoulder. “Can you get the other two?”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded numbly and took in a deep breath before shuffling over to sit behind Wenjun. Taking the paste onto his fingertips, Zhengting began to smear it onto Wenjun’s back. The other seemed to relax under his touch, muscles relaxing into a more natural position as Zhengting added more to each hole. Soon enough, the seal was back onto the vial, but the smell on the ointment on Wenjun was enough to make Zhengting’s stomach curl.</p>
<p>“I have no clue how you can deal with this,” the magicant muttered, handing the vial back to Wenjun. He took a few steps away to take in a new breath of air before holding his breath once more and going in with the small metal bit that Wenjun handed him next.</p>
<p>Zhengting casually stuck his hand into the flame, feeling the metal piece heat up, before going over and applying it to the spots on Wenjun’s back. Each time the hot metal was put down on the ointment, Wenjun would jolt upright and let out a small hiss before relaxing again. With the burning ointment, Zhengting realized how Wenjun put up with it all: this new version somehow smelled even worse. The burned greens almost made Zhengting lose whatever food he had in his stomach, but he somehow managed to keep it down. Even Wenjun’s horse had distanced itself from the pair, taking up chewing some grass on the outskirts of the clearing and far away from the pair.</p>
<p>“... So, you really can use magic, huh?” Wenjun whispered as he began to wrap the bandage around his torso. “You didn’t even get burned by the flame.”</p>
<p>Zhengting snorted and rolled his eyes, moving to sit on the other side of the fire. “It’s because this isn’t a normal flame. It was started by my magic, so of course it wouldn’t hurt me.” He hugged his knees close to his chest, gaze lowering so he was staring at the embers jumping across the ground as they sat there. “At least, I think that’s how it works.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know?”</p>
<p>Zhengting shook his head. “No one ever taught me. I just kinda… Do stuff? Like, a lot it is affected by my emotions I think.” As if to prove his point, Zhengting waved his hand and a little flame appeared. It danced from fingertip to fingertip, illuminating Zhengting’s face in the process. “Like, I’m tired right now so this is all I can really do. When I was mad earlier, I got lightning to appear. I don’t know how I did it, it just… Happened… I mean, if I think about it hard enough, I can do specific things and I can control what comes out, but it’s usually pretty simple things.”</p>
<p>“Interesting,” Wenjun mused, watching Zhengting curiously. Soon enough, Zhengting’s small flame went to join the larger campfire, the fire momentarily roaring upwards as if it was eating something, before going back to a normal height.</p>
<p>They sat in silence as Wenjun finished wrapping the bandages around himself. Walking back over to his horse, he undid some knots on the back end of the saddle and pulled out a blanket of some kind. He walked over to Zhengting, settling down beside the magicant and throwing half of it over his shoulders and the other half over Zhengting’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“U-Uh, I don’t need a blanket!” Zhengting said, ready to make an escape before an arm looped around his shoulders and pulled him into his chest, the bandages wrapped around it reminding Zhengting just what Wenjun had done earlier that day.</p>
<p>“Then stay here… to keep me warm,” Wenjun said sleepily, following it up with a yawn. It wasn’t long until the mercenary tucked his chin into his chest and closed his eyes, peacefully falling asleep. Zhengting, meanwhile, was staring wide eyed into the flame. Despite how tired he felt and every part of his body screaming at him to rest, there was something about it all that stopped Zhengting from being able to achieve sleep. His mind seemed to be racing about a million different things from Xingjie, to Wenjun, to even a little voice that developed and seemed to be nagging him about his powers. And to be honest, Zhengting didn’t want to listen to any of them. He just wanted to sleep.</p>
<p>So, instead he found himself taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes. The thoughts poured over him and ravaged every part of his mind, making him feel sad, confused, hurt, and everything in between. Unconsciously snuggling closer to Wenjun, Zhengting just wished that everything in his head would just go away and he’d be left with his own far more manageable thoughts. Eventually, it all faded into what felt like loud static in his brain, before sleep took him over completely. It also helped that he felt safe and warm, which was something Zhengting hadn’t truly experienced in years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wenjun woke up first the next morning, back still aching from the arrows, but not nearly as bad as the night before. Sunlight was dappling down on the clearing from the spaces between the leaves. Looking to his side, he saw the magicant snuggled up to him, fitting surprisingly well under the mercenary’s arm. He still was deep asleep and Wenjun didn’t have the heart to wake up, so he carefully untangled themselves from one another and wrapped Zhengting in his portion of the blanket before setting the other down on the ground.</p>
<p>Stretching himself out, Wenjun's shoulder felt stiff and sore since it was shot at yesterday. Beside him, Wei Chu snorted and headbutted him softly, causing Wenjun to chuckle. “Good morning to you too, Wei Chu. Sleep well?” The horse didn’t respond, but just blinked before turning back towards the edge of the clearing to continue chewing on the grass.</p>
<p>The mercenary looked around and noticed the fire in front of him. It looked the same as it had the night before when it first started. He squatted down and poked at it with one finger, finding it warm, but not quite burning. Curiously, Wenjun went as far as to put his whole hand in the flame. It was warm and almost ticklish, the heat dancing around his palm and also never quite really touching him. Pulling his hand out, there was no trace of a burn or anything else, just a lingering warmth.</p>
<p>Shaking his head in amazement, the mercenary went over to where he laid his armor out on a log. His tunic had three distinctive holes in it, the chainmail under it broken as well. “Looks like I’ll need to get some new clothes…” He said aloud. Thinking a bit longer, he went on with a glance towards Wei Chu. “I think I’m gonna need a lot more things than just new clothes. And maybe not for just me.”</p>
<p>With a sigh, Wenjun tugged his armor over his head. It was times like this he was thankful he kept Wei Chu’s saddle packs fully stocked. He was often poked fun at for it by the other in his group, but when they realized he was keen enough to keep a majority of their money on him as well as extra supplies, they wouldn’t be laughing anymore. And now, that felt more true than ever.</p>
<p>Going to his horse’s other side, Wenjun took out some fruit wrapped in a heavy wool cloak. It wouldn’t provide the same comfort as a blanket, but with one look at the curled up magicant, it looked like Wenjun wasn’t getting his blanket back any time soon. It also didn’t help that Zhengting had left the village in a white shirt and simple cut brown pants, most likely needing the cloak far more than Wenjun. The clothes were decent enough, though Zhengting looked like he needed to be wearing something far grander, such as something you’d see at a fancy noble’s party with gold trims and vibrant colors.</p>
<p>Wait, what?</p>
<p>Wenjun shook his head of thoughts of the smaller man in front of him wearing something that suited his delicate figure. Instead, he tried to rouse Zhengting awake while taking a bite out of an apple. First, the mercenary poked him with one foot, but that didn’t seem to do much. Next, Wenjun bent down and tried to shake Zhengting awake, but the other just groaned unhappily and rolled over onto his side and away from Wenjun.</p>
<p>With a grunt, Wenjun leaned down and scooped Zhengting up in his arms. The magicant was startlingly light, which both surprised and worried Wenjun. If he worked two jobs, didn’t he have enough to at least feed himself?</p>
<p>Shaking his head for the umpteenth time that morning, Wenjun placed Zhengting onto Wei Chu and adorned the cloak himself. He’d give it to the other when he awoke, but for now, Zhengting would have to deal with being wrapped in a blanket. To finish off his preparations, Wenjun gave the remainder of his apple to Wei Chu as he went to stamp out the fire, the magical flame going out as easily as it had been lit. With the preparations completed, the mercenary guided his horse out of the pit stop and back onto the main trail by hand. It was best to head for whatever nearby city they could and make plans before deciding anything else.</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t awake until the sun was high in the sky, nearly directly upon the traveling duo. At first, he felt soothed, a gentle swaying lulling him back into the calls of slumber, but a different, weirder feeling kept him up. First was the feeling that he was not laying in something, but instead on someone. The next was an uncomfortable feeling around his waist, something tight and firm. Then, the memeories of yesterday flew into Zhengting’s head and he woke up with a start.</p>
<p>“Let me go!” Immediately, he tried to wiggle out of whatever was attaching him to the person in front of him, only to find a rope staying securely in place. “I refuse to be your prisoner!” Now, Zhengting tried to wiggle to dislodge himself and the rider from the horse, but his legs seemed to be tangled up in whatever cloth was wrapped around him. Whoever did this was far too thorough for his liking.</p>
<p>“H-Hey! Quit it!” The person in front of the magicant pulled the reins back on the horse as Zhengting continued to wiggle. He refused to listen, however, which resulted in the very sudden and very violent dismount from the horse. They were easily bucked right off the side as the chestnut horse raced forward down the trail and away from their mess.</p>
<p>“I’ll quit it when you let! Me! GO!” Zhengting snarled, continuing to struggle against the rope and cloth even as they collided to the ground. After a few bounces and a groan of pain from the person in front of him, Zhengting felt the rope loosen around him. In an instant, he scrambled to the edge of the path, panting and staring wide eyed at the person in front of him.</p>
<p>Wenjun was pushing himself up with one arm, his face a mixture of pain and annoyance. Zhengting kept his glare up, feeling a bit of fire dance on his fingertips. The mercenary brushed himself off and held a hand out to Zhengting.</p>
<p>“You getting up?”</p>
<p>“I can get up fine by myself, thank you!” Zhengting hissed as he quickly got to his feet, brushing himself off. The blanket that was previously around him was now unrolled onto the path. He watched warily as Wenjun went down to pick it up, grunting slightly with effort.</p>
<p>“You know, that’s not the kind of thanks I was expecting,” the mercenary commented as he rolled up the blanket, glancing up at Zhengting. “Unless you didn’t want to thank me for saving your ass?”</p>
<p>“I-I! You!” Zhengting puffed his cheeks up in indignation, cheeks growing red at the accusation. “Who said you were saving me? Obviously, you were about to sell me off somewhere!”</p>
<p>Wenjun rolled his eyes. “Yes, because I would definitely want to sell someone who I just betrayed my whole life for and probably now have a bounty over my head for. Makes sense to me.”</p>
<p>Zhengting deflated slightly as Wenjun’s horse trotted back over, nudging it’s owner. He looked down at the rope that was still on the ground and kicked it with one foot, as if to prove his point. “Then why was I tied up? You even had me rolled up in a blanket!”</p>
<p>“Because I was letting you sleep?” Wenjun offered as he picked up the rope and used it to reattach the blanket to the saddle. “You weren’t waking up this morning and I didn’t want to just leave you there. Besides, if I had let you unattached, you would have fallen off Wei Chu.”</p>
<p>“Wei Chu?” Zhengting stopped and shaked his head. “Wait, I don’t even really know who you are! Or what you want to do with me!”</p>
<p>Wenjun put one foot in the stirrup and hoisted himself onto his horse before offering one hand out to Zhengting. “Then how about we talk while we travel? I’d rather get to the next city by nightfall.”</p>
<p>Zhengting paused for a moment, still skeptical of Wenjun, but the pretty smiling face and twinkling eyes did him in. Taking the offered hand, he found himself behind the taller male, arms gently looped around his waist. The horse didn’t seem to take to Zhengting at first, obviously not pleased by letting the person who caused their master to fall back on, but after some gentle coaxing from Wenjun, they started back up once more.</p>
<p>They rode in silence for a bit, no one starting any conversation. Zhengting didn’t even know how to start a conversation about himself. Where did he start? Childhood? Adulthood? The night they first met? Yesterday?</p>
<p>“Your name is Zhengting, right?” The mercenary started, casting a glance over one shoulder. Zhengting nodded, hiding his face into Wenjun’s back. “You can call me Wenjun. And this here,” at this point he leaned forward to pet the horse’s neck, “is Wei Chu. He’s been my horse for a few years now. Don’t know what I’d do without him.”</p>
<p>“I see,” was all Zhengting said softly into Wenjun’s back. They exchanged names now, wasn’t that good enough? Sometimes Zhengting didn’t even do that with whoever wandered into bed with him, so he supposed that was enough sharing for the meanwhile.</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t press him any further, instead allowing the sounds of the forest to cut between them. Zhengting leaned on to him as he listened to the sound of the birds and the trees, the greenery slowly passing by them. After spending his whole life so far in his cozy little town, Zhengting didn’t even realize how much he was missing out on. He often talked with adventurers who came from every corner of the land, listening to stories about grand wars, battles against monsters, and even the occasional tale of a treasure hunt, but they all sounded like tales you’d tell a child at night to get them to go to bed. They never seemed real. They never seemed like they could really ever happen to anyone, never mind him.</p>
<p>He never thought that he would be in anything like those adventurers. Anything beyond the walls of his sleepy town, going back and forth from the inn to the tavern was out of his league. Now, Zhengting was out here, in nature, in the world far bigger than just his, and it was all very real.</p>
<p>As if to prove this point, the rustling in the trees became even more dramatic, something other than the wind causing the sudden intense sound. Immediately, Wenjun’s hand went to his waist, gripping the hilt of his sword, as he pulled Wei Chu to a stop. His eyes began to scan the area from atop the horse as he tried to pinpoint the cause of the increased activity.</p>
<p>“Do trees, you know, usually do that?” Zhengting asked, coughing part way through to cover his voice crack. There was a thudding sound in the distance that seemed to grow more urgent and louder the longer they loitered on the path. The mercenary shook his head.</p>
<p>“Keep your wits up,” Wenjun said before hopping off his horse and onto the trail. Zhengting followed suit, keeping himself concealed behind the mercenary, who had now drawn his blade with muscles tensed.</p>
<p>As suddenly as the rustling had started it stopped. Wenjun waved one arm behind his back to make sure Zhengting kept in his shadow as he crept forward, sword held in front of him. Zhengting peeked around Wenjun, but he didn’t see much beyond the familiar greenery they had been passing as of late.</p>
<p>Then, it passed them. Well, a couple of them passed the pair. They were low to the ground and dark in color, but a few crossed further up the path and into the woods on the other side. Zhengting whipped around, now standing back to back with Wenjun. “What was that!?”</p>
<p>“Keep quiet, we’re surrounded,” Wenjun hissed. His eyes darted along the treeline, waiting for anything else out of the ordinary to come up. “I’d say there’s four, maybe five max. Can you fight?”</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t quite know how to respond. He’d never been in a real fight before, maybe just occasionally breaking up a bar fight, but never something against monsters. That’s why his town was surrounded by a wall in the first place, to keep the monsters out. “I can try?” It came out more as a question rather than confidently.</p>
<p>Wenjun merely snorted, the sound instantly followed by a bark and a small group of monsters leapt out from the trees. Immediately, Wei Chu booked it down the path, leaving the duo alone. They were surrounded by five scraggly looking monsters, their bones sharp under their rust colored pelts. Their long claws left score marks in the ground as they walked and lips curled back as they let out low growls. The long muzzle was adorned with razor sharp teeth and oversized canines that looked as though they could pierce stone. Zhengting felt his heart drop into his stomach as one snapped at him.</p>
<p>“You’re going to have to do more than try!” Wenjun shouted before he went forward, swiping out at the closest monster. Zhengting felt the group close in on them as Wenjun attacked, the sound of their snarls echoing around them. He was on his own for now.</p>
<p>Immediately, Zhengting felt himself springing away from the two that went for him, tumbling further down onto the dirt path. Where he had been moments before was now covered in deep gouges, the monsters growling as they went forward again.</p>
<p>“You dumbass, use your magic!” Wenjun shouted from somewhere further away. Zhengting spared a quick glance to see him using his sword to block an attack from one of the monsters, parrying with his own slice forward, just barely swiping it on its nose.</p>
<p>Zhengting’s heart pounded wildly in his chest as the two stalked towards him, heads held low and tails swaying back and forth. Swallowing down whatever fear he had, the magicant held one hand in front of him, the familiar energy of his magic brewing in his fingertips.</p>
<p>“Come and get me!” He shouted, which seemed to do the trick. The first monster lunged forward, snapping at Zhengting. It’s face was met with a shard of ice, slicing through part of it with little effort. However, this only seemed to make the monster madder, roaring in protest as the second one came up from behind Zhengting and came down onto the magicant with claws outstretched.</p>
<p>Dropping to the ground, Zhengting’s vision was soon filled with a magnificent blue light, lightning striking the creature before it could strike him. The monster fell to the side, twitching at the lingering shocks. This barely gave Zhengting enough time to just narrowly dodge out of the way as the second one pounced down on the ground. He rolled across the path and scrambled to his feet, panting slightly.</p>
<p>“It didn’t die!” Zhengting exclaimed, now slowly backing up as the two stood up and stalked towards him.</p>
<p>“Of course… it didn’t!” Wenjun lunged forward and plunged his sword into the head of one of his adversaries, the creature disappearing into a cloud of dark smoke. “You need to hit them more than once. They’re not like people.”</p>
<p>“Hit them more than once, huh?” Zhengting looked around, noticing now that one of his monsters had its sights set on Wenjun. The mercenary was expertly blocking and dodging the attacks from the two he was currently facing, all parties looking tired. Zhengting’s eyes widened as he realized what the monster was doing, preying on the weaker and distracted Wenjun.</p>
<p>With a shout of alarm, Zhengting reached forward as the creature went to swipe at Wenjun from behind, a blast of icy air sending it flying down the path and onto its side. Zhengting followed it up by running forward and punching the creature in the face with lightning crackling around his hand. It disappeared into a similar flurry of dark smoke as Wenjun’s did, Zhengting’s eyes going wide.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t forget, ugh, that you have another one!” Wenjun shouted, feinting his way out of another swipe. Parts of his armor were now tattered from several near-hits, but he stood his ground as his sword went through another one of the monsters. Despite his injuries from the night before Wenjun was still a powerful fighter, obviously honed from years of experience. Zhengting reminded himself to never be on the opposite end of his sword.</p>
<p>They now each had once left, leaving them to go back to back as they were circled. Zhengting found himself panting hard from all the dodging alongside the use of magic but steeled himself to keep going. Wenjun looked back over his shoulder at Zhengting, a look of worry crossing his face.</p>
<p>“Are you doing okay?”</p>
<p>Zhengting, though tired, found a way to smile, playfully winking at the mercenary. “Keeping my wits up!” Wenjun shook his head with a sigh, but a slight grin found his way onto his lips.</p>
<p>“Let’s make this attack the last one okay?” Zhengting nodded, electricity crackling in the air once more. “Stun them with your lightning or something and I’ll deal the final blows. You’ve used up enough energy, so this will be the best way.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded, but he was worried. What if he couldn’t stun them properly? He hadn’t exactly ever trained to use his magic like this before, how would he get it right? Growing up, he used his magic for small things, like playing pranks or cleaning some stuff, but never fighting to this extent. Wenjun seemed to sense Zhengting’s unease and nudged him slightly.</p>
<p>“Don’t think about it too much. Do what comes naturally to you.” Wenjun’s soothing voice seemed to calm Zhengting’s nerves just enough. Letting out a low breath, he allowed the electricity to gather at his fingertips, hands moving closer together. The monsters were growing closer now and he knew if he waited any longer, they were going to be doomed.</p>
<p>“Now!” Zhengting shouted for Wenjun to leap forward, sending a flurry of blue sparks outwards. Though, it didn’t go exactly as planned. The electricity the magicant had gathered had dispersed quickly and seemed to just annoy the monsters more than anything.. Thankfully, the distraction lasted just long enough for Wenjun to slice through the one right in front of him with a shout, the monster disappearing into smoke.</p>
<p>The other monster, however, recovered from the shock fairly quickly and let out a roar, charging forward towards Zhengting. With claws outstretched, it swiped for Zhengting, who was only saved by Wenjun pulling him back by his shirt. Their roles were quickly reversed, Wenjun using the momentum from dragging the magicant back to his own advantage, thrusting forward with his sword and slicing the final monster. It, like the rest, simply vanished into a cloud of dark smoke.</p>
<p>Zhengting found himself panting on the ground from where Wenjun threw him, thoroughly upset with himself. Wenjun had relied on him and he messed up. A mess up so badly that he nearly got himself killed. He had to do <em>one thing</em> and he wasn’t even able to do it correctly. Zhengting found a familiar hand in front of his face, looking up to see Wenjun looking tired, but pleased.</p>
<p>“You did well for your first fight,” The mercenary said, playfully rustling the shorter’s hair. “Don’t beat yourself up over it, okay? You’ll get better the more you do it. Besides, your movements looked pretty clean.”</p>
<p>As Wenjun went ahead, Zhengting couldn’t help the feeling of uselessness bubble up inside of him. The mercenary had practically been flawless as he took on three of the monsters by himself. The magicant could hardly even beat one, never mind the two that were coming after him! Was he just being a burden to Wenjun. Upon hearing his name being called from down the path, Zhengting forced a smile on his face to hide the brewing sadness. Jogging down the path, he latched onto Wenjun’s arm, whining like a child to the mercenary. “You mean I’m gonna have to do this again?”</p>
<p>The taller man only laughed at Zhengting, whistling for Wei Chu and ignoring the magicant’s continuing nags. With a pouting Zhengting, the duo got back onto the horse, continuing down the path.</p>
<p>“So where’d you learn to move like that anyway?” Wenjun asked, looking over his shoulder at the magicant. “You said you never fought before.”</p>
<p>Zhengting swallowed, his hands holding tight onto Wenjun’s cloak as they rode. He lowered his gaze, not quite able to meet the mercenary’s inquisitive stare. “Oh, I just did some street performances as a kid. Acrobatics and stuff, you know? I still do them occasionally now for the extra cash.”</p>
<p>Wenjun simply hummed in understanding, not pressing the topic any further. They lapsed back into a familiar silence, the air becoming awkward between them. With the taller now focused on the path forward, Zhengting found his thoughts going back to the fight and home. Though it had been less than a day, his previous life seemed so distant from what he was doing now. He never would have thought any of this would happen for real.</p>
<p>“You know, the ocean’s up ahead,” Wenjun said, startling Zhengting out of his thoughts. “Have you ever seen the ocean before?”</p>
<p>Zhengting shook his head and looked around. He tried to look over Wenjun’s shoulder, but everything on either side of them continued to look like the same trees and grasses they’ve been seeing all along. “But all I see are trees! Oceans can’t just appear like that!” He gave it a moment’s thought, eyebrows drawing together. “Or can they?”</p>
<p>Wenjun merely smirked as he leaned forward, letting out a call to Wei Chu. Suddenly, the horse picked up the pace, causing Zhengting to cling onto the mercenary’s back. The trees and path seemed to fly past them, becoming a green and brown blur. Zhengting watched with wide eyes as the path on one side of them gave way from forest to shrubs to a suddenly steep cliff. Beyond the mass of rocks that seemed to have tumbled down the cliff face was the ocean in all its brilliance. Dark blue waves crashed against the stones and broke into white seafoam before lazily sloshing up onto the shore below. Zhengting watched, almost hypnotized by the whole thing. He had never seen something that grand in his life ever before. Zhengting didn’t even realize they stopped until Wenjun waved a hand in front of his face, breaking the beautiful view.</p>
<p>“Hello? You there?” He asked, a teasing grin on his face. Zhengting only took Wenjun’s hand into his, tugging on it like a small child.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, Wenjun look! It’s the ocean! Like a whole ocean!” Zhengting squealed happily. The mercenary chuckled and helped Zhengting hop down from Wei Chu. The magicant immediately went up to the edge of the cliff, eyes looking out at the water as it glinted in the afternoon sun.</p>
<p>Wenjun watched from further back, staying beside his horse, a small grin pulling at his face. A light breeze was rustling the grass around Zhengting’s feet, his hair flowing back with it. It showed more of the magicant’s face, which was currently beaming with happiness. Suddenly, Zhengting turned back towards Wenjun and grabbed the mercenary’s hand in his.</p>
<p>“Can we go down to the water? I want to go into it!” Zhengting’s eyes were alight with excitement. It was clear he must have been sheltered growing up, but Wenjun didn’t realize how badly it actually was. Had he no true sense of fear?</p>
<p>“Sure, but only after we get to the city. Wei Chu deserves a rest after bringing us both there,” Wenjun said. He took his horse’s reins and began to guide Wei Chu forwards without anyone on him, Zhengting tagging along beside the mercenary.</p>
<p>“How much further is it?” The magicant asked, cocking his head to one side. Wenjun merely raised one finger to point as a cluster of buildings in the distance. Just before the horizon, there was a mess of buildings that were outlined by the sky. They sported various colors, mostly adorning the larger buildings, taking away from the usual gray and drab atmosphere cities seem to have. There were several loud sounds, like cannons going off, followed by the dull roar of a crowd. It was audible even at their distance away. Zhengting couldn’t help but pick up his pace, sprinting in front of the mercenary and horse. “C’mon, hurry up then!”</p>
<p>Wenjun shook his head as he followed behind the bouncy magicant, watching him carefully. They hadn’t passed many people on the way to the city, but now that they were getting closer, they had to be more discrete. His father had connections to people all over the land and his face wasn’t exactly hidden, but Wenjun wanted to make sure Zhengting was safe first. It was the least he could do after ripping the magicant away from his home.</p>
<p>It wasn’t much longer until Zhengting complained of tired feet, hopping back onto Wei Chu as Wenjun guided them along. He even remembered to give Zhengting the hooded cloak, the magicant pulling it over himself as they approached the city gates. Now, it truly felt as if real adventure was about to begin.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any comments, kudos, or suggestions are appreciated! Thank you for your support and I hope to see you next time ^w^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The City that Never Rests</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once inside the gates, everything seemed to belong to a whole different world. Streets lined with cobblestone, the buildings looked far more advanced compared to the ones in Zhengting’s city. They had large, arching glass windows, intricate facades, and there were many, many colors. The colors were bright and brilliant, ranging from reds to blues and even some yellows and oranges. Little bits of paper were flying here and there and people crowded the streets. Even with Zhengting’s elevated view on the back of Wei Chu, it was nearly impossible to see over the sea of people that swarmed the streets.</p>
<p>The gates to the city were open, freely letting people in and out of them. In the distance, there was the sound of music playing, followed by the cheers of people. Wenjun watched as Zhengting looked around the whole street, his face lit up with joy. Gracefully, Zhengting stood up on Wei Chu's saddle to get a better look, looking down the main thoroughfare to get a glimpse of what was beyond the people.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, Wenjun!” The magicant hopped down from the horse’s back, playfully hitting the mercenary’s arm. “There’s music! And dancing! And stuff that looks like so much fun, can we go there?”</p>
<p>Wenjun moved Zhengting so he was sandwiched between the mercenary and his horse, the crowd bustling by them and threatening to separate them. Wenjun leaned down to talk into Zhengting’s ear, making sure the other man could hear him clearly. “We need to put Wei Chu into a stable first. And I think we should get some new clothes, just so that way we don’t stand out as much. Then we can take a look, okay?”</p>
<p>Wenjun had never seen a grown man pout, but when the bottom lip that jutted out on Zhengting’s face, it seemed almost natural. When the shorter mumbled something about agreeing with Wenjun, the taller looked around for a stable. They usually weren’t too far from the entrance to the city, as it was easier for travelers and horses alike to be kept at easy access.</p>
<p>Spotting one, the mercenary guided Zhengting over to it and placed Wei Chu in the stablemaster’s care after taking out the important items from his pack. Meanwhile, Zhengting stood awkwardly by the entrance, watching person after person walk by them. He shifted his weight from his toes to his heels, looking around before getting closer to the stablemaster.</p>
<p>“E-Excuse me, sir?” Zhengting pulled his best innocent face, smiling towards the elderly gentleman. “May I ask you what this festival is about? I’m not from around here, so I was curious…”</p>
<p>The stablemaster raised one brow before gesturing out towards the large party of people around them. “This here is a celebration of life. A time where people gather to celebrate life in all its forms and ways. We celebrate new life and lost life, as every single life is precious to us. This had been going on for years now, attended by people from all over, such as yourself.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded slowly, not exactly understanding the old man’s words, but not wanting to be rude either. Thankfully, it was at that moment that Wenjun had come back from setting Wei Chu up and paid the old man for the stall rental. As they stepped back out onto the street, Zhengting latched himself onto Wenjun’s arm, partially to annoy the mercenary and partially because he didn’t want to get lost in a city of this size.</p>
<p>“So, where to now?” Zhengting quipped, practically bouncing on his feet. He seemed like at any given moment he was about to dash off to wherever Wenjun told him to.</p>
<p>“The shopping district. I’m sure there will be plenty of stuff for you to look at there,” Wenjun said. He began to lead the way deeper into the city, Zhengting glued to his side as he scanned every building and every person they went by. “I’ve been here once or twice. I know some of the roads.”</p>
<p>“So this is what a real city looks like,” the magicant murmured to himself, completely ignoring Wenjun. As much as he wanted to reach out and see if everything was as real as he thought, he knew if he strayed too far from Wenjun’s side, he would be lost in a second.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the pair to enter the shopping district, which seemed even more brightly colored than the entrance of the city. Hawkers stood at the side of the street, shouting to passerbys about their goods, while shops had their doors open and signs hung up outside detailing their items. It seemed to go down a decent way of the road, some of the larger alleyways holding tinier, more specific shops for things like weapons or ingredients for potion making. Zhengting felt overwhelmed, having not even seen many of these items on a given town market day. It really was a whole different world.</p>
<p>“This way,” Wenjun didn’t waste time tugging Zhengting down one of the less crowded alleyways. The colors weren’t as obnoxious, the shopkeepers instead only hanging up small decorations, like flowers, in their windows. Several signs hung above their heads, indicating what kinds of shops they were passing by. Eventually, Wenjun slowed his pace in front of an armory, glancing over to Zhengting. With a red face, the magicant untangled their arms and cast his gaze downwards.</p>
<p>Amused, Wenjun let the way into the small and dingy shop. It was oddly spacious once inside, the suits of armor and chainmail hanging up nicely against the wall and more specific items taking residence on a small table in the center of the room. Along the back wall, more pieces of light armor were lined up, some brightly colored and others duller. Zhengting wandered over to the light armor and looked over his shoulder. Wenjun was now talking to the shopkeeper who emerged from the back room as they entered. They talked in low voices as Wenjun’s expression turned serious. Zhengting swallowed and quickly picked out a set of red light armor, consisting of a thick red jacket and pants, as well as mindlessly plucking off a red feathered hat to match and a pair of tall black leather boots.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, what do you think about this?” Zhengting said once the mercenary finished talking. He held it up to himself, trying to get the other to imagine him in it. “Doesn’t it look good? You know, I’ve been told in the past that red is my color.”</p>
<p>Wenjun rolled his eyes, going over to a set of chainmail and hoisting it off the rack it was situated on. “Yeah, if you want to look like a massive target with a feather.” Zhengting’s mouth dropped open as the storekeeper laughed at Wenjun’s remark. The mercenary placed the set of chainmail on the counter before leaning back on it and crossing his arms. “Well, are we getting it or not?”</p>
<p>Zhengting grinned and went over to the counter, placing the light armor and hat down. “I knew you’d see it my way! Besides, the red goes well with your blue,” Zhengting added as an afterthought, tugging lightly on the sleeve of Wenjun’s tunic.</p>
<p>“A new friend there?” The shopkeeper pulled out a log book, marking down the items they were purchasing in it. Zhengting looked up expectantly at Wenjun, waiting for his answer. Instead the mercenary chose not to answer at first, savoring the silence and intense look the magicant was giving him. He simply hummed and gave the appropriate amount of money before heading towards the back room to change, leaving Zhengting in the front by himself.</p>
<p>“That jerk!” Zhengting hissed under his breath, feeling further annoyed as the shopkeeper chuckled. As if in protest, Zhengting decided to don his armor right then and there, slipping the jacket over the white shirt he was wearing and switching his pants with the new red ones. He pulled the boots on over his pants, discarding his worn out shoes for the newer, more durable ones. Once he was done, Zhengting made sure to fit the feather hat snugly over his head. He finished the look with a pair of gauntlets the shopkeeper gave him, insisting they were on the house.</p>
<p>Once Wenjun came back, he merely glanced over Zhengting once and headed towards the door. Fuming, the shorter followed him, but not before purposefully crashing into the mercenary’s back as he paused in front of the door. Wenjun turned around, nodding at the shopkeeper before speaking.</p>
<p>“You could say that.”</p>
<p>With that, Wenjun and Zhengting made their way out of the armory. The magicant was bristling at this point, stopping his foot once they shut the door. “You jerk! I thought we were friends!”</p>
<p>Wenjun laughed and tipped Zhengting’s hat down in front of his eyes before walking down the alleyway and back towards the main road. “What? I never said we weren’t.”</p>
<p>Zhengting merely huffed before rushing to keep up with Wenjun as they headed back into the main part of the shopping district. His ideas on the whole friendship thing was pushed aside once they were back outside. He pushed his hat back up so he could see, taking in the view of the overly decorated city once more with a sense of awe.</p>
<p>Once back out into the main crowd, Zhengting now felt freer to dash away from Wenjun to look at stalls he found interesting as things became more familiar to him. He stopped by several of them, silently looking over their wares, but never seeming interested enough to purchase any. Some of the shinier trinkets that caught his attention and made Zhengting think of home, about how nice they would be to decorate the inn with. It didn’t take long for the thoughts of the burnt down inn to ruin the cheerful mood, the urge to cry welling back up once more.</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t make any comments, but simply followed Zhengting around as a comforting presence, the feather on the other's red hat making him easy to find in any crowd. As they were walking around, a flash of silver caught his eye in the crowd. At first, he passed it off as someone simply not properly sheathing their weapon, but he continued to see it several times over, glinting in the sunset’s light.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, let’s head to the main plaza,” Wenjun said softly, taking his companion by the arm. Zhengting looked up curiously at the mercenary, but didn’t question him as they wandered back into the main thoroughfare.</p>
<p>Here, there were fewer hawkers, and of those present, they seemed to be selling more classic items, like necklaces of flowers or brightly colored pieces of clothing. These items were adorned by people and children alike, no one seeming to really care about how they clashed with their current outfit. In fact, there was hardly a person who didn’t happen to have these flowers on them. And that soon went for Zhengting as well.</p>
<p>The magicant innocently pulled on Wenjun’s sleeve, looking up at the mercenary with large doe eyes. “Can we get flower necklaces?” He pointed to one stand in particular that was selling the flowers that were visible all throughout the city. They had been strung together in a delicate pattern of beads and alternating colors. Shaking his head, he gave Zhengting a few coins and shooed him off in the direction of the stall. Zhengting scurried over happily, exchanging the coins for necklaces before bounding back over to Wenjun and placing one around his neck.</p>
<p>As they spent more time aimlessly wandering around the active part of the city, night had fallen around them. With the streets illuminated with fire lights, it was hard to tell the sun had even gone down. It also didn’t help that Zhengting seemed to bring his own brightness with him as they strolled the area. Wenjun couldn’t help but grin as the magicant zoomed from place to place, never lingering for too long, but also taking enough time to go over each item that was placed there.</p>
<p>Before they reached the square, though, Wenjun pulled off towards one of the many side streets. Zhengting quickly followed behind him, pouting as they left the festivities behind them. Pressing one finger to his lips, Wenjun crouched down at the entrance of the street, motioning for Zhengting to do the same. Confused, the shorter followed suit, watching whatever the mercenary was signaling to.</p>
<p>With rapt attention on the crowd, Wenjun looked for the glint of metal in the crowd once more. It didn’t take long to see the thin and swift knife go forward before being yanked back, usually following the sound of something else falling to the cobblestone ground. Wenjun watched it a few more times before motioning for Zhengting to creep forward slightly. “Do you see it?”</p>
<p>“See what?”</p>
<p>Wenjun paused, scanning the crowd once more, before pointing. “That.”</p>
<p>Zhengting’s brows furrowed as he focused on whatever the mercenary was pointing at. It didn’t take long for him to trace the movement of Wenjun’s finger with a silver glint among the bodies of people who swarmed the street. His mouth formed a small ‘oh’ once he found it, nodding eagerly to Wenjun as the movements of the knife became easier to track.</p>
<p>“Now, check your pockets, make sure nothing is in them,” Wenjun said, a playful grin on his face. “We’re going to set a trap for some pesky thieves.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded eagerly, doing exactly as Wenjun told him. Seeing as though his pants were fairly new, it was easy enough to clear out the small amount of change Zhengting had placed in his pockets. Wenjun was doing the same, except focusing on their pouch of collective coins instead of his pockets. Once everything was all settled, the magicant slid back into the crowd, casually walking among the festival goers, but now, slightly more aware.</p>
<p>Summoning the feeling of a familiar heat on his fingers, Zhengting stretched his arms above his head with a yawn, his jacket shifting with the motion. He casually headed over to one of the stalls, leaning over to inspect whatever products they had there before he felt it. The money bag that was once securely fastened to his waist by his belt had suddenly come loose. Of course, Zhengting didn’t particularly care about that. Instead, he flicked a small flame towards the offending object that had cut down the bag in the first place.</p>
<p>In an instant, the knife clattered to the ground, the singed rope disappearing back to whoever was holding it. Humming softly to himself, Zhengting leaned down to pick up the knife. In the distance, there was the sound of someone swearing and feet coming rapidly towards Zhengting as someone pushed their way through the crowd. The owner of the knife was cut off as Wenjun came to stand in front of Zhengting, leaning down moments after to take the money and gently placing the feathered hat on his head. With a wink, the magicant walked away from the scene, knife now securely in the magicant’s possession.</p>
<p>Zhengting smiled as he watched his red hat bob through the crowd, standing out among the rest of the outfits of the festival due to Wenjun’s height alone. From a distance, the magicant began to follow the hat and, looking over the crowd, he noticed a blond bobbing head doing the same. What Zhengting didn’t notice, however, was the arrow that was notched and aimed at him from above.</p>
<p>As Zhengting got closer to the blond blob of hair, he reached one hand out to grab his shoulder, only for an arrow to come from somewhere above him and strike his gauntlet. It bounced off with a metallic <em>klang</em>, but stopped Zhengting’s hand from getting any closer to the blond as he snatched it back towards himself in pain. The offending blond jumped and turned around at the sound of the clang, eyes growing wide as he spotted Zhengting.</p>
<p>Almost comically, his gaze went between Zhengting and Wenjun, who was now disappearing into a side street. Quickly, the blond booked it through the crowd, pushing against the flow of the crowd. Zhengting did his best to follow him, but was far clumsier in comparison. It was obvious whoever his opponent was had far more skill than the magicant. He muttered apologies to the people who he pushed past, but none of them seemed to care too much. Zhengting eventually had to give up the chase in favor of finding Wenjun. His target was far out of sight now.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to find the mercenary, who stood against a wall in Zhengting’s hat. As the magicant approached him, Wenjun placed the hat back on Zhengting’s head, rustling it slightly and leaving it pointed down and covering Zhengting’s eyes. “Bad luck?”</p>
<p>Zhengting pushed the hat back to it’s normal position, letting out an irritated huff as he did so. “Someone shot me with an arrow!” He whined, showing Wenjun the new dent in his gauntlet. The mercenary raised one brow, looking over the dent before fixing his gaze upwards.</p>
<p>“So, it looks like our little thief friend isn’t alone then,” Wenjun mused. He scanned the nearby buildings to see if he could spot anyone, but to no avail. It seems as though whoever their target was had slipped away for good for now.</p>
<p>“Well, they’ll have to come back eventually! I got this,” Zhengting took out the blade from his pocket, holding it up proudly. The blade itself had four sides to it, coming together at a tip. The bottom of it had several rings that jingled against each other softly. They were tied off to a rope that connected them to whoever the user was. The rope itself, which was browned and dirty from what looked like years of use, was burned from where Zhengting had used magic on it.</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded, patting Zhengting on the shoulder with a small smile. “Keep that with you. I’m sure we’ll meet them again soon enough.” As they began to head back out into the crowd, the mercenary could just make out the grumble from the magicant’s stomach, which caused the shorter’s cheeks to become just as red as his armor. “For now, let’s find a place to stay and get some food, okay?”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded enthusiastically, going back to sticking close to Wenjun as they wandered away from the main part of town and into another quieter section. Here, various inns and eateries were located, and Zhengting couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness. He followed behind Wenjun, caught up in his own upset thoughts, and didn’t even realize it when the taller stopped in front of him.</p>
<p>Zhengting felt a hand grasp onto his, the mercenary practically tugging him into the closest inn. The door slammed behind them, Wenjun pressing Zhengting against it as he looked out the window that adorned the door. Zhengting could only look up at the mercenary, heart pounding in his chest and a blush rising on his cheeks. “W-Wenjun?”</p>
<p>“We were being followed,” He said before giving one last glance out the door and stepping away from Zhengting. The magicant didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until Wenjun stepped away and he let out a sigh.</p>
<p>With glances back towards the door, Wenjun walked over to the innkeeper. They seemed oddly at ease with the situation, not even looking away from their book as Wenjun approached the table. In fact, the innkeeper hadn’t even made any sound when they suddenly ran inside, keeping strangely silent.</p>
<p>“A room for two please,” Wenjun asked and the only indication that he was heard was that a key slid towards him and a hand was held out for money. He handed over two silver pieces before taking the keys and motioned for Zhengting to follow him up the stairs.</p>
<p>They went up the stairs in silence before approaching their room, unlocking the door, and stepping inside. It was a normal room with two simple beds, a nightstand for each, some drawers, and a window on one wall. To the side was a wash basin, but beyond that, the only decoration were some flowers in the room.</p>
<p>“You know, for a city that has such colorful celebrations, their inns don’t really share the same vibe,” Zhengting said casually, going over to sit on one bed. He let out a small groan in appreciation as his feet were off the ground for the first time in what felt like ages.</p>
<p>“We can go and grab some food before we sleep for the night,” Wenjun sat on his own bed, taking off most of his armor and left himself in his underclothes, which were simple pants and a cotton shirt. Zhengting had laid down on his bed, his head hanging off the opposite side. Though his view was upside down, he still appreciated the mercenary in this simpler look as well. It ended as quickly as it started, though, as Wenjun simply left his heavier chainmail behind and put his blue leather armor back on.</p>
<p>“Thank you! I was hoping you’d say that. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days,” Zhengting sprung back up and began to follow suit, leaving his bright red jacket and hat behind in favor of going in simpler clothes. “Also, put your flowers back on! They looked cute.”</p>
<p>Wenjun couldn’t help but pull a face at the comment, holding the necklace of flowers away from himself and looking at them with contempt. “You know… I think I’m good without them. They smell weird.”</p>
<p>Zhengting shrugged, placing his own flowers back on himself. “Suit yourself!”</p>
<p>Wenjun stood up, safely tucking their money in one pocket, before going over to Zhengting and lifting up his flowers to give them a sniff. The mercenary recoiled, nose scrunching up. “Can you not smell how disgusting these are?”</p>
<p>“You’re just saying that!” Zhengting snatched his flowers back before giving them a pointed sniff. It didn’t take long before he recoiled as well, not only from the smell, but from the smug look on Wenjun’s face. “Okay, so maybe they are that bad… I’ll leave them here for now because at least they look nice! They’re a good memory.”</p>
<p>Wenjun merely rolled his eyes as he went back towards the door, looking over his shoulder as Zhengting hopped off his bed to join. “Also, make sure you keep that knife on you. Who knows what will happen if you leave it here.”</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t question it, but tucked the oddly shaped knife into the pocket of his pants. The mercenary didn’t say much more as they left, walking by the innkeeper still immersed in their book, and out back onto the side road.</p>
<p>“You know, it’s lucky we managed to find a room here,” Zhengting said, walking beside Wenjun with his hands behind his back. “For such a packed festival, I was wondering if there were going to be any open!”</p>
<p>Wenjun only nodded in agreement, but didn’t say much else. Walking back into the main thoroughfare, Zhengting looped his arm around Wenjun’s, pulling the mercenary towards the plaza. They had wandered along the side streets all day, but until now, had no real reason to go towards the main plaza. It seemed as though most of the commotion was there, with music playing over the crowd and what seemed to be a large statue in the middle visible from almost everywhere in the city if you looked up.</p>
<p>“I thought we were going to get food!” Wenjun said teasingly, allowing himself to be dragged by the magicant.</p>
<p>“Well, maybe there’s food there! I want to see what all the fuss is about. Also, I’ve been following you around all day, so now it’s my turn for you to follow me!” Zhengting seemed dead set on his idea, ignoring any other protests the mercenary might have had.</p>
<p>Once they reached the plaza, Zhengting felt like he was being introduced to a whole other world. In the center was a tall golden statue of someone, strings going from around the fingers on the raised arms to the parapets of nearby buildings. Flowers were strung up everywhere, on the booths, in windows, and at the tables of the restaurants that lined the plaza. At the feet of the statue, there was an area cleared out for a small band that was playing music on various instruments and people dancing in the mostly clear center. Some seemed to be there on purpose, their costumes bright and sparkly, while others were just normal people who happened to join in on the fun.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the grip around Wenjun’s arm had disappeared and Zhengting was off, snaking his way through the crowd. The mercenary watched as his companion made it to the front of the crowd, watching the dancers with awe. The musicians had ended whatever piece they were on and began a second on, this one sounds more melodic than the previous set. He saw Zhengting look back at Wenjun once, hesitate, then threw himself into the mix of people dancing in the middle of the square.</p>
<p>Wenjun couldn’t help but watch as Zhengting danced along with the professionals, perhaps even outshining them. His body moved freely with the music, his motions graceful and elegant. Every time he moved his arm or leg, it seemed purposeful and only drew in Wenjun’s attention more and more. His years in street performance had done Zhengting well, making him limber and free as he even did a magnificent flip across the open space. The mercenary had opted to stand a few rows back from the front, not wanting to block too many people’s view, but still keep an eye on the magicant, not that the second part was difficult anyway.</p>
<p>Zhengting laughed, a light tinkling sound to Wenjun’s ears, as he found himself one of the only people left in the cleared space, cheered on by the crowd around him. He held up one finger and trotted over to the edge of the circle, eyes glowing. “Wenjun! Come join me!”</p>
<p>The crowd awkwardly parted and looked back at the mercenary whose ears now burned with a red that rivaled the color of Zhengting’s pants. “Uh, I’m good- hey!” Despite his attempts to protest, Wenjun found himself being shoved forward by the people around him. A million thoughts ran through his mind, most of them being ways to tell Zhengting and everyone else that no, he didn’t want to dance, but it all fell flat once Zhengting grabbed his hand and took him into the middle of the clearing.</p>
<p>“Just follow me, okay?” Zhengting said, blinding Wenjun with a bright smile. Without another chance, the magicant motioned for the band to start back up. The festive music filled the air alongside the cheers of the crowd, now nearly deafening from where Wenjun was standing.</p>
<p>Zhengting made his movements slow and purposeful at first, letting Wenjun clumsily follow along to them. Soon enough, Zhengting began to pick up the pace, laughing as Wenjun all but stumbled along beside him. The whole dance was light hearted and open, something Wenjun felt like he hadn’t experienced in years. At one point, the mercenary even found himself cracking a small smile on his handsome face, brushing his hair back with his hand and keeping pace alongside Zhengting. By the time they finished the song, they were both panting, but the cheer from the crowd was absolutely invigorating.</p>
<p>The band set up for a second song, but before Zhengting could even get ready, Wenjun grabbed the his hand and led them back into the crowd. “I refuse to make a fool out of myself a second time,” Wenjun commented with a shake of his head as they got further away from the clearing. Looking back, the other dancers had come back into position, possibly only looking a little put-out that Zhengting had upstaged them. Wenjun snorted and shook his head as they slowed back to a walking pace.</p>
<p>“Make a fool? Out of who, the dancers? You looked so good out there!” Zhengting squealed, moving forward to keep pace with the taller and playfully hitting his arm. “Didn’t you hear those girls shout at you?”</p>
<p>“Zhengting, I don’t know if you noticed, but everyone was shouting,” the mercenary playfully shot back, laughing at the pout that now formed on the other’s face.</p>
<p>“You know what I mean!”</p>
<p>Wenjun rolled his eyes as they strolled around the edge of the plaza. Several restaurants were serving food to guests outside, the colorfully clothed patrons watching the festivities in front of them. Zhengting had tried to go to at least three different places, but each one mentioned how full they were and the wait would be a few hours at least. Yet, each time they circled around, it seemed as though there were new people in line and new people in the seats.</p>
<p>Eventually, Zhengting had enough of the central plaza and chose a random road to go down, Wenjun oddly silent behind him. The magicant kept glancing up at his companion, but felt too awkward to say anything about it. What was there to say? Wenjun had gone deep in thought as they had walked from restaurant to restaurant and it seemed like nothing could get him out of it. While Zhengting knew his companion wasn’t always the most talkative person in the world, but he usually could keep some conversation going between them. This stuffy kind of silence between was new and, at least to Zhengting, suffocating.</p>
<p>“So… What are you thinking about?” Zhengting asked as casually as he could, but could tell that it probably came off as awkward and forced. He bit his lip in an attempt to stop himself from saying anything else awkward.</p>
<p>Thankfully enough, Wenjun didn’t respond, or even seem to notice, at all. His gaze was fixed on the ground and occasionally he muttered something to himself, but gave no indication that he even heard Zhengting. The magicant looked at Wenjun for a moment before letting the awkward silence seep back in between them. Scuffing his boot along the ground, Zhengting tried to ignore the weird air between them and continue their venture for food.</p>
<p>At some point, they had come across another eatery in a new part of the city, this one being a dark and dingy looking tavern tucked into the side of a building. No stranger to places like this, Zhengting guided Wenjun in, the mercenary still deep in thought. After claiming one of the tables for themselves, Zhengting put on his sweetest smile as he went over to the bar and the barkeep came over to ask for their order.</p>
<p>Wenjun sat at an empty table by himself, hopefully being fine with whatever Zhengting got. What he didn’t expect, however, was watching Zhengting flirting with the young barkeep. He glanced up at one point, realizing the presence that has been by his side for the past day was missing, and only noticed him leaning against the bar with a seductive grin on his face. Recalling back to the time with his old group, Wenjun had always noticed Zhengting was less than pleased with their advances, but here he seemed fine with flirting on his own.</p>
<p>He was sweet talking the barkeep, no doubt, but Wenjun couldn’t tell if it was for information or his own satisfaction. He watched as Zhengting’s hands traced lazy circles on the counter as he brought a drink to his lips. The magicant’s dark eyes followed the barkeep as he went and got another drink, thanking him sweetly before sauntering over to where Wenjun was sitting and placing the drink down in front of him.</p>
<p>“I thought we were looking for food, not drinks,” Wenjun said, a bit of an edge to his voice. He swiped the drink from the table and took a few sips. His eyes were trained on the barkeep in a silent threat, though Zhengting either pretended not to notice, or was too oblivious to realize what was happening around him.</p>
<p>“They have food here, don’t worry. I just asked,” Zhengting said with a shrug, sipping on his own drink. Wenjun merely snorted and shook his head. “Besides, you were in such a deep thought on the way here, I thought a drink would help!”</p>
<p>Wenjun raised one brow skeptically before sighing and putting his drink down. His face turned serious very suddenly, the dim lighting in the tavern making it look more severe than he intended. “Did something about the plaza seem weird to you at all?”</p>
<p>Zhengting cocked his head to one side. “Weird? How?”</p>
<p>Wenjun looked over to where the barkeep was preparing whatever food before he moved closer to Zhengting and lowered his voice. “The food the restaurants were serving. Everyone had the same meal. And I don’t think it’s just because they have a limited food supply. They’re putting this much into this festival, wouldn’t you think their dishes would vary at least a bit?”</p>
<p>Zhengting frowned as he listened, trying to think back to what he saw. “I didn’t really notice that… The only thing I’ve noticed everywhere are those flowers. You know, the smelly ones from our necklaces? They were inside every place I visited.”</p>
<p>Before Wenjun could say much else, a platter of food was placed in front of them. A barmaid in a top that didn’t leave much to the imagination winked at the pair before back over to a room that was situated behind the bar, closed off from customers. The food looked too good to be true. Some sort of meat was glazed over with honey and other spices, two flowers on either side of it. Wenjun and Zhengting exchanged a glance at each other.</p>
<p>“Were they… Something like this?”</p>
<p>“Exactly like this.”</p>
<p>They looked back towards the bar, noticing that those who were sitting there were in different stages of eating the same meal, flowers and all. Something dropped in Wenjun’s stomach and was sure it wasn’t hunger. In fact, all thoughts about eating had left him at this point. The glazed meat in front of them was certainly a delicacy, most places not typically serving meat like this on the daily, but it seemed as though this was a common meal. Something wasn’t adding up for sure.</p>
<p>“So, something is totally up here,” Zhengting said confidently, glancing back towards the bar where the barkeep was making light conversation with two of the patrons. “I’ll be right back.”</p>
<p>He made his way back up to the bar’s counter, drink in hand. The magicant smiled as he beckoned the barkeep over with one finger, bringing the glass to his lips once he knew he had the other man’s attention. He giggled as he noticed the flush of red on the man’s face as he scurried over to Zhengting. “Can I help you?”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sure there are plenty of ways you could help me…” Zhengting started, sliding his hand so it rested on top of the barkeep’s hand. He continued making small circles with one slender finger, enjoying the red that further blossomed across the barkeep’s face. “But first, do you mind telling me about this city?” He ended it with a saccharine smile, knowing he was playing the other man perfectly.</p>
<p>“W-Well, we’re in the middle of the Festival of Life. It’s held once a year by the patron of the city, a man by the name of Wang Yibo. He donates all his money to help bring people into the city from all over the land. He provides a lot of the places here with food and decorations as well. Truly a man among men!” The barkeep nodded, seeming very sure of himself. Zhengting nodded along, playing his part of playing dumb and pretending he truly cared about what was being said.</p>
<p>“Wow, he sounds amazing! How long does the festival last for?” Zhengting asked, taking a sip out of his drink while he listened to the barkeep go on a little more.</p>
<p>“Oh, you know it’s only held one day a year!” The man said with a smile. Zhengting paused, thinking about the large gathering of people that was still in the plaza last time they went by.</p>
<p>“Just one day?”</p>
<p>A nod. “Yep! It’s nice to know that at least for one day we get a bit of a break you know!” The man laughed and leaned forward, looking Zhengting over. “Can I break you too?”</p>
<p>It was at that moment Wenjun walked over, slamming his pitcher down in between Zhengting and the barkeep. He glared at the other man as he stood closer than needed to the magicant. “I’d like a refill, please.”</p>
<p>Startled, the barkeep jumped back slightly before taking the pitcher and refilling it. Zhengting shot Wenjun an amused glance, but the mercenary didn’t say anything about it. Once the drink was refilled, they both went back to their seat and began to pick at the meat. They were reluctant, but it was the only thing that they could eat right then. The whole piece of meat wasn’t covered in the sickeningly sweet honey, which was nice as the two of them only poked at the uncovered parts.</p>
<p>“Something isn’t adding up,” Zhengting started, chewing thoughtfully before continuing. “He said the festival only lasts one day, but it looks like it’s been going on for a few. Not to mention, it didn’t show any signs of slowing down while we were outside.”</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t give any indication that he heard other than a subtle nod. He glanced back over towards the barkeep before turning back towards Zhengting. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>“Apparently, this town is run by some patron? A guy by the name of Wang Yibo. He pays for all the stuff, like the decorations and food.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded again before getting up, his chair making a creaking noise as he did so. “I’m going to pay and then we’re leaving. Sleep well tonight and we can discuss what we want to do going forward tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Zhengting watched as Wenjun paid, not quite understanding the annoyance that was evident in his tone. With a shrug, the magicant finished off his drink and went over to join Wenjun by the counter. He stayed out of the conversation and followed the mercenary out the door, but not before sending a kiss towards the barkeep as they went out the door.</p>
<p>Back outside, the duo began to take the walk back towards their inn. The plaza seemed as lively as ever as they began to travel through it. The music was still going, people were still laughing and shouting, and the restaurants seemed as full as the first time they went by. Just like before, Wenjun spoke not a word to Zhengting, instead just trusting the magicant would follow him back towards the room.</p>
<p>Zhengting, though tempted by the loud music, kept pace with Wenjun. He wanted to explore nightlife a bit, maybe go out and feel what it means to really be someone his age, but some nagging voice in the back of his head told him no. Maybe it was the weird feeling this place was giving his companion or the fact a bed sounds better than this crowd that made Zhengting head back into the inn. Whichever one it was, Zhengting decided that staying with a moody mercenary would be better than getting lost in this unknown city.</p>
<p>The first thing they noticed as they walked back inside the in was the missing innkeeper. A sign that read “be back later” was put up by the front desk, the only signal showing there had been a real person there in the first place. Exchanging glances, the pair went up to their room. Zhengting yawned and practically slumped himself over the taller as they stood in front of the door.</p>
<p>“Wenjuuuuun, I wanna sleep,” Zhengting whined, not understanding why the mercenary wasn’t unlocking the door. Wenjun reached into his pocket and pulled the key out, turning the lock to their room slowly. Zhengting peeked over Wenjun’s shoulder, raising one brow.</p>
<p>“Someone broke in... “ Wenjun murmured softly, pushing the door all the way open to reveal their room. It looked like a small tornado had blown through it, the sheets on their bed a mess and drawers left wide open. The window between the two beds was wide open, one of the panes swinging lightly back and forth. Even their clothes were in a messy heap on the floor, tossed off their beds and pushed to the side. Perhaps the most devastating part of all were the flower necklaces, at least in Zhengting’s opinion. They were destroyed beyond recognition, the torn petals scattered across the floor. “You could feel the breeze from the window through the cracks in the door.”</p>
<p>They walked in warily, looking around to see if there were any tricks planted around the area. After giving the room a thorough investigation and proving that it was, indeed, safe, they began to pick up their scattered items. Wenjun had gone over to the window, which was still hanging open, and closed it once more. To make sure this wouldn’t happen again any time soon, he made sure the lock that kept the two panes together was fastened tightly before walking away.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t look like they took anything, though. All our stuff is here,” Zhengting said from beside the pile of clothes, giving it a moment of thought. “Unless.. What they wanted wasn’t here.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded, placing his clothes back on the end of his bed. “I’m guessing it’s the same thieves from earlier. They wanted either money or that knife back and thought we’d be dumb enough to leave it. Too bad for them, we didn’t plan on leaving either behind.”</p>
<p>Zhengting pulled the small knife out, the metal glinting in the faint light that was coming from outside. “Maybe we should get rid of it then? We’re leaving tomorrow after all.”</p>
<p>Wenjun opened his mouth to say something before closing it, his lips pursed together in a tight line. “Before we go to bed, we should talk about what we’re going to do going forward.”</p>
<p>Zhengting frowned, turning around on his bed to face Wenjun. It was difficult to make out the other’s expression in the dark, but Zhengting could just see that it was heavily guarded. Wenjun obviously didn’t want his emotions to play into this conversation. “W-Well, what did you have in mind?”</p>
<p>Wenjun let out a snort, shaking his head. “Do you want the nice truth or the ugly one?”</p>
<p>Zhengting frowned, not quite understanding him. “The ugly one?”</p>
<p>“Okay then,” Wenjun looked at Zhengting, eyes glinting in the half light. “I was planning on dumping you back in your little town and going on myself. I have nothing to go back to and you’re obviously distressed being far away from home. You’re not fit for living on the road.”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt himself bristle slightly at the comment, straightening himself up and shooting the mercenary a glare. Though Wenjun seemed like he didn’t want his emotions to get in the way of their conversation, Zhengting had no qualms with doing so. “Excuse me? I will be perfectly capable of living on the road! You haven’t even given me a day to get used to it! And what, did you think I was going to be content with being dumped there? After seeing all of this?”</p>
<p>“Oh? Then maybe I should just leave you here then? You seemed plenty cozy with that guy from the tavern.” Wenjun shot back, only fueling Zhengting’s anger. It was hard to tell, but under Wenjun's harsh words, there was a hint of jealousy.</p>
<p>“What is <em>wrong</em> with you!? You’ve started acting like an asshole out of nowhere and expect me to be okay with it? I don’t care if it’s because of your so-called bad feeling about this town, you aren’t just going to dump me where you feel as though it’s convenient! If you couldn't tell, your little band of merry men wanted my head too, so don't play victim here.”</p>
<p>Wenjun opened his mouth for a retort, but was interrupted by the sudden sound of the window shattering around them. Fragments of glass slid across the floor as two figures landed in their room. Landing first on the window sill then jumping down onto the floor, Wenjun found himself with an arrow pointed at his face, the owner of the crossbow standing there with fabric covering his face and goggles over his eyes.</p>
<p>On the other side of the room, the blond boy they had been chasing earlier held a knife up to Zhengting's neck, keeping a silent stance. And the intruders continued to say nothing, keeping the magicant and mercenary at bay. They both were essentially pinned down and unable to defend themselves.</p>
<p>Zhengting was the first to break the silence. “So, are you guys just going to come in here and-”</p>
<p>“Shut up!” The blond said, pointing the dagger closer to Zhengting’s face. “Give us back what you stole from us! Or else!”</p>
<p>Wenjun stood up, glaring as he towered over the thief that stood in front of him. “Or else what?”</p>
<p>“I’ll shoot!” The goggled thief said, moving so the crossbow was once again aimed at Wenjun’s face. The mercenary merely sighed, dropping down quickly and kicking the goggled thief’s legs out from under him. At the same moment, Zhengting darted forward and placed his hand on the blond’s, smirking as the familiar spark of lightning went from him to the blond. The magicant knew his emotions were still running high, which may have created a stronger spark then desired, but that didn’t stop him from giving the thief what he deserved. With a cry of pain, the thief fell to the floor and curled up in pain. He spasmed once or twice before going motionless and passing out on the floor.</p>
<p>Immediately, the goggled thief was crawling to his partner’s side, trying to assess what happened. Wenjun took this time to grab and unsheathe his sword that was resting against the bed, pointing the tip at the goggled thief.</p>
<p>“You have thirty seconds to explain yourself,” Wenjun’s low voice boomed in the small room, sending shivers down Zhengting’s spine. He was lucky enough to not have this side of the mercenary pointed at him and he didn’t realize how terrifying it would be if it ever were to happen. He hadn’t even done anything like this when they were arguing just moments before.</p>
<p>“No, tell me what you did to Justin first!” The thief blurted, now cradling his partner’s head in his arms.</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a huff, walking around the two to stand next to Wenjun. He knew he didn’t look the part to be as intimidating as Wenjun, but from years of working at the tavern, he knew that just the right tone was enough to get people to listen. This time, he had a bit of extra energy on his side too. Lifting one hand, Zhengting allowed for lightning to crackle around him and Wenjun, the goggled thief looking up at them with large eyes. The lightning reflected on the goggles in bursts as the thief continued to stare at them. It was clear he knew his position. He was severely outclassed by whatever Wenjun and Zhengting could do to him.</p>
<p>“Your friend will be fine. Now, if you know where you stand, you better start telling us what exactly you’re doing here.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not much to say about this one besides yay for new characters!<br/>As always, thanks to everyone who's reading along with this. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment or leave a kudo :) See you next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Thick as Thieves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting watched as the thief’s mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. A hand on his shoulder drew the magicant’s attention away, Wenjun shaking his head slightly. With an irritated sigh, Zhengting brought his hand down and the lightning fizzled away, allowing the room to lapse back into silence.</p>
<p>“Now, for the last time, why are you here?” Wenjun’s demand came with the point of his sword at the thief’s neck, the tip just barely touching.</p>
<p>“W-We…” The thief bit his lip, looked down at the boy in his arms, and sighed. “We came to get his knife back. That’s all we want, really. Just give it to us and we’ll leave you alone.”</p>
<p>“How can we trust the words of a thief?” Zhengting said, walking forward. He leaned down to get a closer glimpse at the thief, who merely held the unconscious boy closer to himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, his gaze lowering behind the pair of goggles he wore. They both seemed young and dirty, their dark colored clothes tattered and smelling slightly out of sorts. They certainly were not the type to be enjoying the festivities as most of the townspeople were.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the blond boy gasped, bolting upright in his partner’s arms. He looked around questioningly for a moment before turning around to see the other thief looking at him, shocked. He didn’t seem to even register the sword that was pointed towards them or care that he had just been shocked to the point of unconsciousness.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng! What happened? One second I was standing and then the next…” The newly awakened thief looked around to finally notice the sword pointing at Chengcheng’s neck and their two supposed victims looming over them. “Oh… We lost didn’t we?”</p>
<p>Zhengting snorted and pulled out the knife he picked up earlier, waving it in front of the thief’s face. “Well, not just yet. I’m sure you can explain to us what your goal is-” he yanked the knife away as Justin reached one hand out to grab it. “And if we think your explanation is sufficient, you can have your knife back. If we believe that’s all you’re here for, that is.”</p>
<p>The two thieves exchanged a glance at one another before nodding. The memory of Zhengting’s lightning was still clear in Chengcheng’s mind and he didn’t want to cross the delicate looking man again. Slowly the pair stood up, Justin still a bit unstable on his legs. Chengcheng helped the blond up the best he could, eventually leading him to sit down on Zhengting’s bed. With a glance at each other, Zhengting and Wenjun nodded and sat down on Wenjun’s bed facing the other two.</p>
<p>“I think you can help us!” Justin started, which immediately caused his partner to bring his hand to his face. “What, don’t give me that look Chengcheng!”</p>
<p>“Justin, we didn’t come here for help, we came here for your weapon back,” Chengcheng hissed, smacking Justin’s arm. The blond rubbed the spot with a pout, looking offended.</p>
<p>“Can we get back to the main topic here,” Wenjun grunted. The thieves jumped as the sound of his voice, looking at each other guiltily. It seemed like they almost had forgotten the other two were in the room.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m not wrong in saying that all we want is Justin’s knife back,” Chengcheng started, placing one hand over his partner’s mouth as it opened. “We need it to… Fix the town.”</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a soft hum, raising one brow and looked over the knife. “And this little thing is going to solve all your problems?”</p>
<p>“Well, no, but-”</p>
<p>“It’s a weapon, so it’s helpful!” Justin had now pried Chengcheng's hand off his face and was grinning at the pair in front of him. “We’re going to kill the patron after all.”</p>
<p>Zhengting and Wenjun couldn’t help but stare at the two. Justin was looking at them with a sparkling hopefulness in his eyes while Chengcheng looked as though he should have impaled himself on Wenjun’s blade when he had the chance earlier.</p>
<p>“Justin, you just don’t <em>say</em> that to people!” Chengcheng hissed, burying his face in his hands. “Why did I get stuck with you of all people?”</p>
<p>Justin smiled and looped one arm around his partner. “Don’t say that! You’d be sad without me.”</p>
<p>“No, I would be thankful for whatever being was put in your place.”</p>
<p>“Kill the patron?” Wenjun echoed, bringing the thieves out of their own personal bubble once more. “Why would you do that?”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s a long story…” Chengcheng started, but as he glanced towards Justin and saw the blond’s starry eyes, he sighed. “But I guess we have some time to tell it.</p>
<p>“You’ve been around here long enough, so I’m guessing you’ve heard of the patron of this city? Wang Yibo?” He was given nods of confirmation. “Well, the guy isn’t exactly the best person in the world that everyone makes him out to be. He runs this festival, sure, but the thing is, this festival has been happening for over a month already.”</p>
<p>“Wait, I was told it only happens one day a year!” Zhengting cut in, furrowing his brows. Justin nodded his head, taking over the story.</p>
<p>“You’re right, it used to happen once a year. But this year, something weird happened.” The blond looked around before lifting up a broken petal from the ground. “These started appearing.</p>
<p>“In years past, a certain kind of flower was collected by the sea shore and used in a lot of the celebrations here. This year, the patron comes out and starts handing these weird flowers out to everyone, and I really do mean everyone. Every shop, every house, every tavern. You can’t go anywhere without seeing these flowers. Where did they come from? Why are they everywhere if they smell so bad?”</p>
<p>“We were wondering that too,” Wenjun said softly to himself, now looking thoughtful as they listened to the thieves' story. Chengcheng continued next.</p>
<p>“Turns out these flowers were grown by the patron himself, but they’re not normal flowers. The pollen and honey from them seem to have this weird effect on them. When people start smelling the flowers or eating the honey, they seem to lose their memory. As anyone out there, and they’ll tell you today is the first day of the festival.”</p>
<p>“I was told that earlier,” Zhengting confirmed. “I spoke with a barkeep in one of the taverns. He said today was the day of the festival and gave us their weird meat and honey meal.”</p>
<p>“So, everything adds up,” Wenjun said, but then shook his head. “In theory. How could you possibly make flowers that cause people to lose their memory? That’s just not possible. Flowers don’t just make people’s memory go awry.”</p>
<p>Justin frowned, sharing a glance with Chengcheng. The blond sighed before continuing, looking more and more downcast as he went. “Well, that’s what we thought too. But soon, more outsiders came into the city. Like you guys, they would wear the flowers all day, eat the food, and become trapped here. .They always think it’s their first day here and they need to enjoy the activities and never leave.Then, there are those who only came for a little bit and left, but they didn’t touch any of the flowers. It’s the only difference we can find.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng chimed in next, trying to support Justin. “And it’s not like we don’t like the patron in the first place. When we were younger, we knew him, but something happened and he changed. He never left his house and abandoned most of the city to let it run itself. We usually stay far away from this festival, but this year’s has been too weird. We don’t know what he’s planning but it can’t be good. That’s why we want to stop him.”</p>
<p>Wenjun and Zhengting sat there for a minute, taking in the information. The thieves stared at them intensely, waiting for some kind of response from either of them. When they didn’t respond right away, Justin turned his attention toward Zhengting.</p>
<p>“If you could help us, that’d be great too! That whole bit you did earlier with the lightning? That was super cool! I’m sure it could-” Chengcheng hit the back of his partner’s head lightly, shaking his head.</p>
<p>“You were out for a few minutes and you call it cool? Did it scramble something up here?” As if to prove a point, Chengcheng locked Justin into a playful head lock, and shook the blond back and forth.</p>
<p>There was a bit more silence before Wenjun spoke up. “We’ll see for ourselves.” The thieves stopped their play fight to perk up at the sound of the mercenary’s voice. “Tomorrow, we’ll go out and do our own investigation. If we find things that add up to your story, we’ll help you.”</p>
<p>“And if not?” Chengcheng shot back, putting himself in front of Justin.</p>
<p>“If not, we’ll give you the knife and be on our way,” Zhengting added, glancing up at Wenjun who nodded.</p>
<p>“Alright then, we’ll stay with you until you can confirm it yourselves then!” Justin decided on his own. The other three in the room all looked at him with identical expressions of shock, but he made no indication of being affected by them. He pulled on Chengcheng’s arm as he climbed into Zhengting’s bed. “You guys can have that bed and we’ll have this one!”</p>
<p>“Justin, you can’t just…” Chengcheng’s words fell on deaf ears as the other thief almost immediately went to sleep, soft snores quickly filling the room. Shaking his head, the other thief mumbled to himself as he took off his goggles and set his crossbow down on the floor next to the bed. With only a slightly awkward nod to the other pair in the room, he got into bed beside Justin and did his best to fall asleep as well.</p>
<p>Zhengting and Wenjun glanced at each other, but they knew it was too late to kick the other out of their room. Wenjun got up first, and after making sure there were nearby glass shards, settled himself down on the floor with one arm under his head. “You take the bed. You’re probably tired from using magic today, so it’s probably best you get some good sleep. Night.”</p>
<p>The magicant hadn’t moved to lay down on the bed yet, feeling slightly offended. Standing up, he grabbed Wenjun’s arm out from under him and began to drag the mercenary towards the bed. He grunted a few times as Wenjun refused to help and was merely dead weight, but it wasn’t long until the mercenary had enough.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, what the hell are you trying to do?” Wenjun hissed, keeping his tone mindful of the sleeping pair.</p>
<p>“You said I should get some good sleep and I won’t be getting any if you’re acting all mopey on the floor!”</p>
<p>“I am <em>not</em> moping!”</p>
<p>“Wenjun, that is exactly what someone who is moping would say,” Zhengting countered, dropping the mercenary down back onto the floor. “Now be a real man and get into bed with me.”</p>
<p>Wenjun raised one brow and stood up, using his height to his advantage to stand over Zhengting. Then, he slowly walked forward, the magicant taking tentative steps back until the bed bumped against the back of his legs. Easily, Wenjun pushed the smaller man down onto the bed before leaning down over him, their lips nearly nearly brushing against each other.</p>
<p>“Be a real man, huh?” The air from Wenjun’s words brushed over Zhengting’s skin, causing the magicant’s own breath to catch in his throat. The mercenary's hand was on the bed next to Zhengting’s head, trapping him from moving anywhere. “Is this manly enough for you?”</p>
<p>The shorter found his voice caught in his throat and at the time, he could only manage a small nod before Wenjun backed off. With the slight feeling of disappointment, Zhengting watched Wenjun walk into the center of the room, boots crunching on the broken glass, and run a hand through his hair. Through the moonlight and dim light from the plaza that streamed through the window, Zhengting could make out Wenjun’s beautiful form. Hardened from years of fighting, it moved slowly under the light as the mercenary turned back towards Zhengting. The magicant tried his best to not make it obvious he was staring as his gaze was averted down towards the floor.</p>
<p>“Well? Aren’t you going to make room for me?” Wenjun asked, raising one brow. Immediately, Zhengting made his way over to the other side of the bed, kicking his own boots off as the bed dipped under Wenjun’s weight. It creaked as the two men laid on it, backs facing each other.</p>
<p>“G-Good night, Wenjun,” Zhengting stuttered out, thankful for the darkness that covered his bright red cheeks. He only got a low grunt in response, Wenjun’s breathing quickly mixing in with that of the two thieves. Now Zhengting just wished his own body would calm down enough to let him fall asleep.</p>
<p>What seemed to be only a few hours later, the sun had begun to stream through the uncomfortably broken window. Once again, Wenjun found himself the first one awake, the thieves sleeping on top of one another in their shared bed and Zhengting curled up into himself in their own bed. He looked down at the magicant, hand brushing away a few pieces of hair from his face. He appeared to be in some kind of pain, nose scrunched up and hands clutching onto the sheet below them.</p>
<p>Soon after the soft motion, Zhengting’s eyes snapped open and he caught Wenjun’s hand, heart pounding in his ears. It looked as though the mercenary didn’t expect it, the shock evident on his face. Once Zhengting realized who it was, he slowly released the death grip he had on Wenjun’s wrist and let out a small sigh.</p>
<p>“You didn’t have to scare me like that,” Zhengting sighed, plopping his head back down on the pillow. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”</p>
<p>Wenjun couldn’t help the smug tone of his voice. “Oh really? Why is that?”</p>
<p>“<em>Oh really? Why is that?</em>” Zhengting mimicked Wenjun's voice with little accuracy, accompanied with an eye roll, but still made Wenjun chuckle slightly.</p>
<p>The mercenary began to pull on his armor and spared a glance outside the broken window. The festival seemed almost no different compared to the day before. The music and shouting in the distance seemed, if anything, even louder, but that also could have been due to the broken window that allowed sound to flow into the room easily. Zhengting seemed to notice this too, walking past Wenjun to look out the window as well. The breeze of the morning flowed over the magicant, but he found it hard to relax.</p>
<p>“You think they were telling the truth?” Zhengting asked softly, looking over at the two thieves. No longer shrouded in the half light from the moon, it was easier to see that they both seemed to be younger than when he had assumed in the first place, their faces still holding a childlike innocence to them as they slept.</p>
<p>“I don’t see why they’d lie to us about something like that,” Wenjun mused, watching as Zhengting put on his clothes as well. The magicant’s body was built very differently from Wejun’s own, his past as a street performer possibly helping with his lean and thin figure that was visible under his simple shirt and pants. Wenjun watched curiously as he struggled to put the gauntlet on, chuckling to himself. A groan from the other side of the room brought the taller’s gaze away from Zhengting and onto the lump of blankets that made up the two thieves.</p>
<p>It turned out the groan came from the blond, Justin. He lifted his head up, hair pointing out every which way to almost make him look he was more birds nest than person. He sleepily blinked once, then twice, before looking down at Chengcheng below him. Zhengting and Wenjun watched in silence as Justin rubbed one eye and got up off the bed. Shuffling around to the other side, he took a hold of Chengcheng’s leg and dragged the other thief right out of bed and onto the floor with a dull thud, the taller thief waking up with a confused snore.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, it’s morning. You gotta get up,” Justin yawned, stretching out his body. “That was the best sleep I had in ages.”</p>
<p>“And all it cost you was a broken window,” Wenjun said just low enough for only Zhengting to hear him. The magicant covered his mouth with one hand to hold back his laughter, but the mischievous twinkle in Wenjun’s eye meant that his goal of brightening up the other had been accomplished.</p>
<p>Slowly, the four began to get ready, taking turns at the wash basin located on one side of the room and tip toeing around the broken glass. Wenjun, at one point, has begun to try to put it into a pile with his foot, but even then there were smaller shards that were still sprinkled around the ground that he couldn’t reach. He sighed and gave the two younger boys a glare as the finished getting ready, as if to remind them of their misdeeds.</p>
<p>After a while of Zhengting stretching out his back and Chengcheng and Justin poking fun at him for it, the group eventually made their way outside in a search for food. The innkeeper was back at the front desk with the book still held in front of his face. Placing down their book, he shot them a confused look. “How did you lot get in?”</p>
<p>Wenjun paused from his position at the head of the group. He glanced back towards Zhengting, who shrugged. “We paid yesterday?”</p>
<p>The innkeeper wasn’t swayed. “How much you pay?</p>
<p>“2 silver pieces for room 3,” Wenjun crossed his arms over his chest. Zhengting had to admit, when the mercenary wanted to, he could look pretty intimidating. “One piece per bed. One bed per pair.”</p>
<p>The innkeeper swallowed for a moment, looking up at Wenjun before leaning back in his chair once more, picking up his book, and waving his hand. “Fine then, off you go.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded and led the rest of the group out without another word. Once the door to the inn was closed behind then, Justin hopped in the front to face everyone. “You see? That proves we’re right! He doesn’t remember checking you in!”</p>
<p>“No, he doesn’t remember checking in a group of four guys in,” Zhengting corrected with a roll of his eyes. “When you have so many people coming in and out day after day, you learn to count numbers, not faces.”</p>
<p>“You’re talking like you’ve done it before,” Chengcheng said, sliding up beside Zhengting. It was hard to judge his expression under the goggles he wore, but his general unease about the magicant was audible in his tone.</p>
<p>Zhengting shifted closer to Wenjun. “Well, I used to be an innkeeper myself in my old town, so I know how these things work. Your story about memory altering flowers is still too weird for my liking, so that just is one point against it.”</p>
<p>“Yes, because memory altering flowers is different from someone who just can make lightning appear out of nowhere? I think we may have our situations reversed,” Chengcheng crossed his arms over his chest. “Now how are you going to explain that?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, that was actually kind of awesome?” Justin piped in now, coming in between Chengcheng and Zhengting in a way to try to alleviate some of the pressure that was building up between the two. “Do you have some sort of device to do it with? I haven’t seen anything like that around here. Ohhh, maybe you’re from the capital? I heard they have really cool stuff there!”</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah, some cool technology or something…” Zhengting looked towards Wenjun for some help, but the mercenary was weaving his way back through town. He didn’t even look back to see if the others were following him, dead set on going wherever he planned. Desperately trying to avoid any more questions, Zhengting caught up to Wenjun, grabbing the mercenary’s arm.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, what do I tell them?”</p>
<p>“Tell them whatever you want. It’s your secret,” Wenjun said with a shrug. “I don’t care.”</p>
<p>Zhengting frowned, feeling hurt from Wenjun’s statement. He knew they were practically strangers and yesterday the mercenary did admit to wanting to drop him back off at his hometown, but something about Wenjun just attracted the magicant to him. Even if he was quiet and a bit broody at times, Wenjun’s warm and playful side that occasionally popped out was fun too. It hurt Zhengting to think that in reality, the mercenary didn’t care about him as much as Zhengting cared about the mercenary. He backed off slightly and became a weird straggler between Wenjun and the two thieves.</p>
<p>His thoughts were soon interrupted as they made their way back towards the tavern they visited yesterday. Wenjun held the door open and ushered the others inside. Zhengting looked at him and felt off by the icy expression he wore. Chengcheng and Justin followed them in, taking a seat at the table Wenjun and Zhengting sat at the day before.</p>
<p>“What are we doing here?” Chengcheng asked, sitting back and lifting his goggles up onto his forehead. He didn’t seem nearly as pleased to be there as Justin was, the blond looking at every decoration and table in the tavern. He leaned forwards and took the flower that was placed in a vase in the center of the table and placed it on a nearby table without hesitation.</p>
<p>Wenjun leaned forward on his elbows, kicking Zhengting with one foot from under the table. “You should know the drill, go and sweet talk that bartender or whatever you’re good at. Try to see if there’s any difference from yesterday.” Wenjun said before fixing his gaze on something else in the room. There was an awkward silence between the group for a moment, the thieves glancing between the other two silently.</p>
<p>Zhengting sighed before placing his hat on the table and walking towards the bar, a smaller number of people present this time. The same barkeep was there as the one from before, giving Zhengting an obvious once over as he approached.</p>
<p>“Can I help you?”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded, ready to put his plan into motion. Putting on his most defenseless face, he spoke to the barkeep with a slight hesitation in his voice. “Um, yeah. You see, this is the first time my friends and I have been in this city. Can you tell me a bit about what’s happening outside?”</p>
<p>“We’re in the middle of the Festival of Life. It’s held once a year by the patron of the city, a man by the name of Wang Yibo. He donates all his money to help bring people into the city from all over the land. He provides a lot of the places here with food and decorations as well. Truly a man among men!” The barkeep nodded, seeming very sure of himself. Zhengting nodded, realizing with a growing horror it was the same thing he heard the day before.</p>
<p>“Wow, he sounds amazing! How long does the festival last for?” Zhengting asked, the words feeling dirty in his mouth. The same conversation and the man made no comment about it. He seemed to be giving Zhengting almost the same needy look, making the magicant’s stomach plummet.</p>
<p>“Oh, you know it’s only held one day a year!” The man said with a smile. Zhengting only nodded and mumbled some drink orders before going to sit back down with the others. Chengcheng was wearing an expression that screamed “I told you so” while Justin wore a smug smile.</p>
<p>“He said the same things he said to me yesterday,” Zhengting started quietly, looking down at his hands on the table. “It didn’t even seem like he remembered me.”</p>
<p>“And it’s not just him,” Chengcheng added, his tone going low. “It’s everyone in this damn town and it has something to do with that Wang Yibo guy.”</p>
<p>Wenjun looked up to face the two in front of him. “So, what do you want us to do? We’ll give you back your knife and be on our merry way. I don’t want to stay in this cracknut city any more than I need to be.”</p>
<p>Justin seemed to deflate at the dismissal in Wenjun’s tone, at first ignoring the knife that Zhengting slid across the table to him. “You won’t help us?”</p>
<p>“I have no obligation to,” Wenjun said simply, nodding to the barmaid as she placed everyone’s drinks down. Like the day before, she giggled and winked at the mercenary before going into the back room. Zhengting took his tea and began to sip at it, watching Wenjun carefully.</p>
<p>The pair of thieves looked at each other before nodding. Chengcheng didn’t seem to care as much, at least, he didn’t show it on his face. Justin, on the other hand, looked absolutely crestfallen as he slowly took his knife back and began to fiddle with the loops at the end of it.</p>
<p>“Well, it looks like that’s that then,” Chengcheng said, standing up and practically dragging Justin up with him. “Hope you have safe travels, then.” Without another word, the two thieves made their way out of the tavern and back out onto the road. Wenjun hardly seemed to bat an eye as they did so, nodding in their direction once as they left.</p>
<p>Almost instantly, Zhengting turned on Wenjun, who was calmly sipping on his drink. “How could you just say that to them? They need our help! Didn’t you say earlier that if their theory was true, we would help them?”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted, placing his pitcher down. “They need more than just our help, Zhengting. They need to go to the capital or hire someone to take down this Yibo character. Maybe if you looked at the bigger picture, you could see that we’re useless in this situation.”</p>
<p>Zhengting had never wanted to punch someone in the face as much as he wanted to punch Wenjun right then. So, with a clenched fist, he did just that. His knuckles connected squarely with the mercenary’s cheek, knocking him out of his chair and onto the floor. The chair made a loud clattering sound as Wenjun was knocked clean off it. The few other patrons turned their attention towards the pair and watched in silent anticipation.</p>
<p>“Oh, get off your high fucking horse, Wenjun,” Zhengting snarled, pointing sternly at the bewildered man on the floor. “If you won’t help those kids, I will. Have fun running from whatever mercenary complex you have going on in that head of yours, because obviously it’s stopping you from being a decent fucking person.” Without hesitation, Zhengting spun on one heel and stomped out of the tavern. He would be just fine without Wenjun. He could function perfectly well without the mercenary at this side, he hardly even knew the guy!</p>
<p>Resolutely, Zhengting began to search for Chengcheng and Justin, softly calling their names out as he trotted down the street. It seems as though he was just too late though, both of them not popping out from anywhere. They were probably back to doing whatever they had been doing before they met with Wenjun and Zhengting, meaning the easiest place to find them would be the main thoroughfare.</p>
<p>On his way back, Zhengting had the idea to begin to casually ask people he went past about the festival. They all gave him a similar response as the barkeep did, saying how this was the biggest one day festival and to enjoy it while it lasted. Zhengting couldn’t tell if it was from the lack of food or the growing realization that what the thieves told him was true, but with each conversation he had, his stomach seemed to grow sicker and sicker. By the time he made it to the thoroughfare, he thought he was about to nearly pass out from it. On the sidewalk, he dropped to one knee and held his stomach, his desire for <em>something</em> in it making everything hazy.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a kind face appeared in front of him, a gentleman dressed in what appeared to be a tailored suit had walked up to Zhengting. He held one hand out as he helped the magicant up. “Are you okay there? Your face looks very pale,” the man spoke with concern in his voice, but something about it seemed fake. His face was hazy as Zhengting glanced up, but it was clear that it wasn’t one of his companions despite the light colored hair on his head.</p>
<p>“I-I’m fine, I’m just looking for someone,” Zhengting said before he felt that pang in his stomach once more. His vision swam in front of him as he staggered to his feet, the man putting one of Zhengting’s arms over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Let’s move you to somewhere you can take a breather, hmm?” The voice sounded distant in his ears as the gentleman spoke. Zhengting could only numbly nod in understanding, just trying to make his way to the bench that looked to be a million miles away. He felt the man’s arms slip under him and support him as they began to move.</p>
<p>In the distance, he could hear someone call out to him, but he didn’t pay any attention to who it could be. Lost in his stupor, he could only make out vaguely familiar voices before he felt a sharp slap to the face. Then another, and finally a third because he was able to recoil and clearly stare at the perpetrator in the face. His initial daze had gone away and vision sharpened once more to reveal the worried face of whoever was in front of him.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, why the hell did you slap me!?” Zhengting hissed, holding one hand up to his cheek in pain.</p>
<p>“Because Justin didn’t want to,” Chengcheng said with a shrug, the mentioned blond now also popping into Zhengting’s view.</p>
<p>“Huh, who knew slapping actually worked,” Justin said, leaning on Chengcheng to look at Zhengting. “Glad we got to you before you went fully under. Then we really would've have been out of luck.”</p>
<p>“Went fully under?”</p>
<p>“Well, we didn’t realize it at the time, but that tea you ordered? It had honey from those flowers in it. It probably hit you with the effects of them all at once considering you didn’t have anything else to dilute it. Are you doing okay?” Justin frowned from his position on Chengcheng’s back before he was rudely shrugged off by the taller thief.</p>
<p>Zhengting looked between Chengcheng and Justin, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “Wait, if you didn’t know when they served it, how did you find out?” The thieves exchanged a glance before looking back at Zhengting, their expressions showing just how uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“Wenjun told us,” Chengcheng said finally. He noticed Zhengting opening his mouth to speak, but went on to quickly add more. “But he left before we could ask him anything else.”</p>
<p>Zhengting bit his lip before nodding. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath, the face of the mercenary popping up in his head only once before he opened his eyes again. “We can do without him for now. Instead, let’s think of a way to take down this patron, yeah?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Patron</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting found himself in a new part of the city with the two thieves, following behind the pair in silence. They would occasionally bicker about something small, but otherwise they kept to themselves. The further away from the main plaza they got, the magicant began to notice the more and more broken down buildings. People glared at him as he walked by, some even going as far as to spit at his feet.</p><p>“What kind of place is this?” Zhengting muttered, coming up closer to Chengcheng and Justin.</p><p>“The slums,” Chengcheng replied, a note of hostility in his voice. “If you’re not comfortable with it- ow!” The taller thief rubbed his arm where Justin had hit it, furrowing his brows. “What was that for?”</p><p>“Can’t you be a decent person for a second? He already said he was gonna help us!” Justin let out a small huff and crossed his arms. Chengcheng merely rolled his eyes behind his goggles. Zhengting chuckled softly, smiling as they continued to walk.</p><p>The thieves led him through a series of what felt like complex side streets and alleyways, eventually coming to a stop at a building that seemed a bit different from the rest. It looked like at one point it had been made out of wood, but parts of it had been burned away, several spots along one wall charred black and the roof had several holes in it. Chengcheng led the way inside, going towards the back where a section of roof seemed to still be intact and setting his crossbow down beside a small pile of other items. Zhengting followed in after him, Justin bringing up the rear. It looked even worse inside, the floor hardly existent and walls charred black.</p><p>“A fire?” Zhengting asked, looking around. Justin hopped onto one of the benches that looked like it was about to break apart at any second and nodded.</p><p>“Yep, 13 years ago someone set this place on fire, but they had pretty bad timing. Not long after, it began to rain and the outside was fairly preserved. Provides decent enough shelter, not to mention no one cares enough to come here anyway.”</p><p>Chengcheng pushed his goggles up on his forehead, running a hand through his hair. “It used to look really nice before, but because the church never bothered to come and investigate the fire, we decided to take up camp here.”</p><p>“I see. So, this place was a church then.” Zhengting leaned against one of the pews, being sure to not put his full weight on it as they stood there in silence for a moment. “... So, do you guys have a plan for this whole kill a patron mission?”</p><p>Chengcheng had taken up to sitting on the floor, a small collection of tools next to him. He began to tinker with his crossbow, mumbling to himself as he did so. Justin watched his partner for a few seconds before turning to Zhengting with a shrug.</p><p>“He’s always working on his stuff, so don’t worry about it. Anyway, we didn’t really have a <em>plan</em>. More like… We were gonna wing it?” Justin laughed awkwardly before turning serious, an expression Zhengting hadn’t seen much of thus far. “We’ve been tracking the patterns of the guards around the mansion for the past several nights. It’s actually surprisingly easy to get inside if you wait long enough.</p><p>“We know where his room is, but he doesn’t seem to go in there at all at night. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever seen him in his room now that I think about it. And we’ve been staked out there all night.”</p><p>“Do you even know what he looks like?”</p><p>“Of course we do, he used to visit all the time,” Chengcheng said, glancing up from his work. He held the crossbow in front of him and pulled at the trigger a few times, nodding as it snapped to whatever his qualifications were. “Before this place was burned, that is.” He motioned to the church before going back to focusing on his work.</p><p>Justin nodded, looking down at his interlocked fingers. “Yeah… It was an orphanage as well as a church. The father here raised a group of us alongside his son. Sadly, almost everyone died in the fire. W-We happened to sneak out that night, but came back to this,” He raised his gaze upward and could feel tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, there were arms wrapped around the thief, Zhengting pulling the younger into his chest.</p><p>“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Zhengting murmured softly into Justin’s hair. The blond felt a wave of warmth pass through him and he finally broke, sniffling and sobbing into the magicant’s chest. Even at this point, Chengcheng had put his work down and sniffled once or twice, trying to hold himself together. Resolutely, he wiped away the few tears that gathered and tried to go back to his work.</p><p>They stayed like that for a moment until Justin calmed down. His sniffle and sobs eventually toned down to light breathing, the blond pulled himself away from Zhengting and nodded to himself. Using the sleeve of his shirt, Zhengting wiped away the remaining tears and smiled softly. He ruffled Justin’s hair before standing up straight, fixing his jacket. “Well, what else are we waiting for? Should we go out tonight?”</p><p>“Tonight?” Chengcheng stood up now, coming to stand beside Justin, taking the shorter thief’s hand in his own. “Are you sure about that? You don’t even have anything to fight with.”</p><p>Zhengting took his coat and hat off, the red color far too noticeable for any kind of stealth mission, and with a flick of his fingers, summoned fire in his hand before crushing it out with a fist.</p><p>“I don’t need weapons, just directions,” the magicant said. Chengcheng and Justin exchanged glances before nodding. They moved around the church, gathering supplies that happened to be hidden around various parts. Beneath various planks of wood, there were stolen goods and money that looks anything from years old to brand new. It looked like the pair did their jobs as thieves well.</p><p>“Zhengting,” Chengcheng motioned for the magicant to join him. Justin stayed on the other side of the room attaching his knife to a rope that was coiled around his waist. The goggled thief’s voice lowered to a tone where it would be nearly impossible for the blond to hear him. “I just want to say… If anything happens in there, promise me you’ll get Justin out.”</p><p>Zhengting tried to hide his surprise, tilting his head to one side. “And what about you?”</p><p>The taller thief shook his head. His expression was both deadly and serious, sending shivers down Zhengting’s back even if it wasn’t directed at him. “Don’t worry about me. Just get him out.”</p><p>Zhengting followed Chengcheng’s gaze, which landed on Justin. He had just finished tying the loops at the end of the knife to the rope and was giving it a few practice throws to make sure everything was balanced well enough. Feeling satisfied, the blond walked over to the other two, looking between them.</p><p>“Did I miss something?”</p><p>Chengcheng merely smirked, rustling Justin’s hair as we walked down and picked up a set of crossbow bolts from the floor and pulled his goggles over his eyes. “Nope. Just getting ready to go. Are we all set?”</p><p>Zhengting and Justin both nodded, their resolutions set. The day had passed by them while they were in the church, laughing and getting ready for the mission. Eventually, the bright world outside the church turned to twilight, the sun just setting over the festivities. While Zhengting had mentally prepared himself to go and fight this pator, Chengcheng mentioned they had something to do first.</p><p>“Don’t you think it’s about time for this festival to end?” Chengcheng suggested, smirking. Without waiting for anything else, he took off running into the street, Justin laughing and followed behind him. Zhengting wasn’t entirely sure if they meant for him to follow, but he did so regardless.</p><p>As it turns out, the houses in the slums were filled with enough holes to the point where they were relatively easy to scale. Once on top of the houses thought, the holes in the roofs were something you had to watch out for otherwise your food would end up in someone’s bedroom by mistake. While Zhengting found the latter incredibly embarrassing, the thief duo assured him it happened frequently enough to where it was practically expected at this point. He still tried his best to make sure his foot wasn’t going to be interrupting anyone’s evening.</p><p>Skirting their way over the rooftops, Zhengting found the areas were getting easier and easier to scale. With a firmer stone under them, they had made their way into the shopping district and headed towards the plaza. No one below them seemed to even take notice of the group moving from rooftop to rooftop</p><p>Soon, they had arrived at a building that was on the edge of the plaza. Below them, a group of people was clustered in the plaza. Usually, this time of night would be swarming with people who were dancing to the music and celebrating, but the people below them looked like they were sluggish, practically dragging themselves across the plaza.</p><p>“Good for them that everyone decided to stay home today,” Chengcheng said, taking a few items out of his jacket and placing them on the ground. “Though, it’s sad they won’t be able to see the biggest bang of all.”</p><p>Zhengting tilted his head, watching Chengcheng mix together some powders in precise amounts and loading them into a hollow bolt. Meanwhile, Justin had expertly moved from building to building and cut down the ropes that connected a string of flowers from the statue to the parapets on each of the buildings. Slowly, the flowers drifted down to rest on the golden statue, a small commotion coming from the ground as people stood by the edge of the plaza.</p><p>“Chengcheng, what are you doing?” Zhengting hissed, looking now as the thief loaded the bolt into his crossbow.</p><p>Justin had come back over them, face flushed red from his prance around the ring of roofs. He nodded and tugged on the one rope that hadn’t been cut that was one building over from them. “All set, Chengcheng! Let it go!”</p><p>“Let what go?” Zhengting looked between the two thieves, but his question was ignored as Chengcheng took up aim at the large statue. He hesitated only a second before pulling the trigger on his weapon, the bolt filled with the mysterious powder sailing across the sky and into the statue. It landed right next to where the rope by Justin was attached.</p><p>“Move, move!” Chengcheng shouted as he finished the short and dashed across the roof with a mad grin on his face. Zhengting looked between the two to now notice the blond having stolen a torch at some point. Justin put the fired up torch against the rope before leaving it on the roof before fleeing on foot with Chengcheng. Still confused, but keeping up with both thieves the best he could, Zhengting kept peeking over his shoulder to see what exactly they had done.</p><p>As the fire ate its way down the line, it eventually made its way to the arrow and everything seemed to move in slow motion. There was first a noise unlike anything Zhengting had heard before, ouder, and closer than any clap of thunder could be. The explosion blew up the face of the gigantic statue. Bits and pieces of wood had splintered off the face, there now being a large gap in the side of the statue’s head. As screams began to rise from the ground, the beloved festival statue was slowly being burned to the ground, the city painted orange in it’s blazing light. The festival was now on it’s way to ending for real.</p><p>With the flame behind them, alongside the shouts of concerned citizens, the trio made their way back to the dilapidated church. With a sigh, Justin plopped down in one of the pews and ran a hand through his hair with a grin.</p><p>“We’ve been waiting to do that forever!” The blond said enthusiastically as Chengcheng refilled his vials of powder. Zhengting stood by the entrance, still completely bewildered.</p><p>“You’ve been waiting to blow up a whole statue?” The magicant hissed, still not sure what he was hearing. A few pieces of dark clothing were thrown his way, more importantly, right in his face.</p><p>“Yep. That dumb statue has been up there for over a month. It’s a good sign to show people that this party is over,” Chengcheng said, pulling a long scarf over the lower half of his face and a cloak settling behind him.</p><p>“But what if someone got hurt? Or worse killed!?” Zhengting stressed, changing into his own clothes that they had given him.</p><p>Justin stood up in a similar outfit, his own scarf larger than Chengcheng’s and hanging down his shoulders. He shrugged and looked out beyond Zhengting towards the city. “It needed to be done, otherwise we would never be able to finish the job.” There wasn’t anything else exchanged between the group as Zhengting finished changing, still slightly upset with their methods, but willing to forgive them. It didn’t look like anyone was hurt, so hopefully it would all be fine.</p><p>Now dressed in darker clothing that Justin <em>swore</em> weren’t stolen, they began their trek to their target’s home. Keeping to the less populated roads, they three went through the blazing city towards a section that seemed to loom over the rest. The fire in the plaza had caught most people’s attention, so hardly anyone was out loitering on the streets. It had caused a nice distraction, Zhengting would give them that at the very least.</p><p>Looking out over the city was a mansion, surrounded by a tall wall that looked to be heavily guarded at first glance. Several men took up the front position by the gate, while others were stationed around the sides. If Zhengting didn’t know better, he would have thought the whole thing was impenetrable. But, just like with every other thing they did, Justin and Chengcheng proved him wrong.</p><p>As if it were natural, Chengcheng and Justin led Zhengting over to one side of the wall, the bricks reaching far above their heads. Chengcheng got down on one knee, Justin taking a running jump from a little ways away and launched himself onto the top of the wall. From here, Chengcheng motioned for Zhengting to do the same. The magicant hesitated for a moment before following through with Justin’s actions and pulling himself onto the top of the wall. The blond gave him a thumbs up before going down and reaching to bring Chengcheng up. The goggled thief followed a similar run-and-jump technique to get himself partially up the wall before he latched onto Justin’s hands and was hoisted up. Successfully, the three of them scaled the wall and hopped down into the garden below. Zhengting had to admit, he was amazed that no one took any notice. Perhaps the guards weren’t as competent as they appeared.</p><p>Not too far away from their initial landing point, two guards were talking to each other, complaining about the lack of action they had been getting lately. Reaching into a quiver that was strapped onto his thigh, Chengcheng pulled out what looked to be two thinner arrows, not looking like the normal bolts his crossbow used. Instead, he pulled out a short bow from his back, notching one of the small arrows into place and drawing the bow back. In rapid succession, he fired off one arrow followed by the other, hitting each guard in the exposed area of their armor between the chest piece and helmet, right into their necks.</p><p>They soon fell to the ground, arrows sticking out of their necks. Zhengting felt a pang of hurt when he remembered Wenjun shielding him from a similar attack, but tried to get the thought out of his mind. Now was not the time to be thinking about the damned mercenary. He left them behind after all. And it looked like Chengcheng’s arrows weren’t to kill, simply to put them to sleep for now.</p><p>Cautiously, Chengcheng motioned for them to move forward, all three creeping low to the ground and hiding in the cover of the bushes. Zhengting was impressed with the two thieves, both of them seeming completely different compared to how they were during the morning. They were almost like different people all together. Beyond their usual lighthearted banter, both Chengcheng and Justin were well seasoned thieves who didn’t seem to be the type to make mistakes.</p><p>Chengcheng took down several more guards with his sleep darts, securing the side of the mansion they were on. They still weren’t in the clear though, as they now had to find a way inside the building without getting spotted. At this point, Zhengting could only think of the way they broke into his and Wenjun’s room the night before, just simply smashing through the window with no regards. He sincerely hoped that wouldn’t be the same case here.</p><p>Instead, with Chengcheng and Zhengting on the look out, Justin had crept forward towards one of the windows and began to fiddle with the lock on it. He had taken out some thin pieces of metal to manipulate the lock with, the window eventually popping open with as Justin let out a pleased hum. It swung out towards them with a low creak, but was otherwise unnoticeable.</p><p>Quickly, the three made their way inside, being sure to re-lock the window behind them. Chengcheng took a deep breath before looking around, making sure no one was nearby. “Where do we go from here?”</p><p>Justin shrugged, standing up straight and lowering the scarf he had wrapped around his mouth. “He could be somewhere in the inner part of the mansion. It’s kind of formed like a big circle, I think. There’s something in the middle, but we never investigated it.”</p><p>Zhengting nodded and straightened himself up. Despite the amount of guards who were stationed outside, the inside was oddly devoid of people. Not even a servant had made their way down the hall in the whole time they had been there. Something about this place gave Zhengting the chills and he was determined to find it out.</p><p>“Follow me,” he said under his breath before starting out down the hall. The two thieves exchanged glances before tailing after the magicant. He made his way to the nearest room and threw open the doors with little reserve. It was completely unlocked and that just made everything a bit more unsettling than it had been already.</p><p>The room looked like it was once used as a sitting room, a small table with chairs on either side of it were in the middle of the room, and there was a bookcase on one wall. What made the room look like it was a sitting room, though, was the amount of dust that accumulated among all the furniture. It seemed as though it had been abandoned ages ago and no one bothered to clean it.</p><p>“What the hell?” Chengcheng wandered inside the room, sneezing as he moved one of the books off the shelves and dust went everywhere.</p><p>“Hold on,” Justin turned out of the room and back into the hall. Jogging lightly, he went to the next room and opened the doors to that one as well. It was the same thing: everything was covered in an immaculate layer of dust and cobwebs, only disturbed as Zhengting or Chengcheng went in to investigate it further. Each room in the hall was like that and not a single person had passed them while they were investigating.</p><p>“What is going on here,” Zhengting said once they regrouped, having inspected each room in the hall and finding nothing. “Everything looks so manicured on the outside, but inside it’s so dirty. How could anyone live like this?”</p><p>“Well, it could be he’s not actually living in these rooms?” Justin supplied with a shrug. “Like, if it’s only him in here, these could be extra.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Chengcheng grunted before going into the closest room. He went up to the shutter that was on the window, slowly pressing it open. He gasped and then coughed as he took in a lungful of dust. Justin immediately went to his side and Zhengting followed a little ways behind.</p><p>Justin sat Chengcheng down on one chair as Zhengting went over to the window, glancing outside to see whatever the taller thief had seen. Outside was a garden until anything the magicant had seen before. Flowers, much like the ones that decorated the town, swayed in whatever light breeze there was. In the middle was a large tree with branches that splayed outwards instead of up. It seemed to be wrapped around something, a glistening coming from among the branches. In front of it stood a man, dressed in elegant white and blue robes. He stood with hands clasped behind his back and stared up at the tree. His lips moved as he said something, but at Zhengting’s distance, it was impossible to tell what he was saying. Then, the man glanced in their direction, Zhengting immediately dropping to the ground. He could feel his heart thudding in his ears as he covered his mouth, the thieves not saying anything but dropping to the floor as well.</p><p>After a few tense moments, Zhengting slowly made his way out of the room, Justin and Chengcheng following close behind him. They shut the door as they left, the dusty room going into darkness once more.</p><p>“What was out there?” Justin asked, looking between Chengcheng and Zhengting.</p><p>“He was, for sure,” Chengcheng said, to which Zhengting nodded in confirmation. “And all the flowers we’ve been seeing around town. There is some sort of garden that’s in the middle. A big tree and flowers mainly.”</p><p>“Did you… notice anything weird about the tree?” Zhengting asked, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach not going away even now that they were in the safety of the hall.</p><p>Chengcheng shook his head and looked out the window. Outside, one of the guards he shot had begun to shift, whatever was on the tip of his arrow now wearing off. He cursed before getting up and looking around. “We need to move. The medicine is wearing off and if we stay here, they’re going to catch us.”</p><p>“Let’s head towards the back. There are more guards stationed towards the front,” Justin decided, turning to sprint down the hall with the others following close behind.</p><p>As they made it around the corner, there was shouting from the outside, the mansion going on high alert. Armor clinked past the group as the guards outside moved towards the front of the mansion. The back was now fairly free in terms of being watched, but that didn’t stop the trio from keeping to the side and looking out every step they took.</p><p>This hall was similar to the other, lit up nicely by candles every few meters. Several doors lined the side, one in the center looking far more elegant than the rest. It had an intricate gold design on it, wrapping around the blue door and practically sealing it shut from the outside world. Even as Chengcheng went to tug on the doorknob, the door didn’t budge one bit.</p><p>“You’re just not trying hard enough!” Justin scoffed, taking the door knob in one hand and tugging on it, only for the door to continue to stay in place. “Hold on…” He tugged again, but to no avail. With a huff, he pulled out the same set of tools as earlier and began to work on the lock. Chengcheng stood guard in front of him, crossbow at the ready.</p><p>“This looks like it might take a bit, why don’t you go and check the other rooms?” Chengcheng suggested with a shrug, not finding any immediate danger present. “But don’t go too far. Once we get this open, Wang Yibo is going down.”</p><p>Zhengting nodded and began to slowly open the doors at this end of the hall. Some of them looked to be glorified closets, filled with clothes, cleaning items, and one even housing a few weapons. Among all these dusty rooms, one stood out among the rest. The room had a large bookcase along the side of it, all the books appearing to be older than anything else in the house. The oddly musty smell was the most unnerving part about the room, but Zhengting decided it was good to venture into regardless. Various papers were scattered on the floor, books were left open on a table, and there were several partially melted candles. It appeared to be a study of sorts.</p><p>Wandering over to the table, Zhengting ran his hand over the open book that was there. It was impossible to read in the darkness of the room, so he summoned a small flame and lit a nearby candle. Flickering to life, it showed a book that was beside several ancient looking scrolls. He began reading them over, not recognizing many of the words, though it didn’t help that Zhengting had no formal education and could only read very little. Bringing the book closer to his face, the magicant flipped through it and glanced through the pages to see if anything stood out to him</p><p>Though out of all the words, there were a few that seemed to be repeated several times throughout the whole novel. One was the word “dead”, which seemed to be the main point of the book. Something about the dead perhaps? Focusing towards the end, Zhengting tried to read a few of the pages, but whatever was on them was far too complex for him to understand.</p><p>Among the lines of text, there were occasional pictures drawn on the pages. Some of them depicted what looked like a complicated circle that had a fancy script along the outside of it, while others were of several plants, bearing a striking resemblance to the flowers that were outside. Zhengting took the book with him out of the study, looking around to find Justin had successfully unlocked the door. What perfect timing.</p><p>“Hey, can you guys read?” Zhengting whispered, glancing towards the partially open door. If the door coming unlocked wasn’t enough to alert Wang Yibo, Zhengting didn’t want his voice to be what did them in.</p><p>Justin glanced at Chengcheng, who nodded. “I can read a little bit. Give it here,” the goggled thief took the book from Zhengting’s hand and began to skim it over, muttering to himself a bit. The other two waiting anxiously for him to come back with any new information.</p><p>“Well, what does it say?” Justin whispered, trying to glance over Chengcheng’s shoulder as if he’d understand what the other was reading.</p><p>Chengcheng’s brows furrowed in concentration before he handed the book back to Zhengting and shook his head. “I don’t know what’s up with it, I can’t read it at all.”</p><p>As Justin began to ruin the tenseness of their situation by poking fun of Chengcheng for being unable to read it, Zhengting opened the book back up again and tried to find something he knew would be basic even for himself. But that’s when we realized it. Silently, the magicant gave the book back to Chengcheng, the taller thief looking at him with a confused expression. While making direct eye contact, Zhengting took the book and flipped it around in Chengcheng’s hands with a nod.</p><p>“It was upside down.”</p><p>Immediately, Justin seemed to forget everything about being stealthy as he laughed, holding his sides as Chengcheng went back to reading with red tinted cheeks. “I can’t believe… You didn’t see… It was upside down!” He managed to get out between bouts of laughter.</p><p>Chengcheng swatted at Justin with one hand, trying to get his partner to calm down. The blond eventually dissolved into smaller giggles, and went to hide behind Zhengting, away from Chengcheng’s fists. “What did you get from it, Zhengting?”</p><p>“I got that it had something to do with those plants and death, but I couldn’t really figure it out,” Zhengting admitted, biting his bottom lip in aggravation.</p><p>“Well, you’re not wrong. I think it’s a ritual or something? The plants that can bring the dead back, but I can’t quite get how…” Chengcheng handed the book back to Zhengting and shrugged. “Nothing else we can do now except stop whatever he’s doing before it’s too late.”</p><p>Zhengting nodded and tucked the book away into his jacket, hopefully able to find it useful later on. Looking at the door, the three exchanged glances before opening it. It was silent as it swung open, first leading to a small room that had glass for walls. It gave a clear view of the garden, flowers swaying in the breeze and a large tree right in the center. Looking at this view, Zhengting felt something tugging at him, almost to the point where he felt sick. Something in there was calling to him, but this wasn’t the time to listen to it.</p><p>Instead, Justin and Chengcheng rushed past him, the element of surprise forgotten. They both pulled and readied their weapons, keeping to the sides of the wall. Following in behind them, Zhengting got there just in time to see Justin’s rope dart head right for Wang Yibo’s head, only to deflect off something and fall to the ground. At the same moment, Chengcheng pulled out his short bow from earlier and loaded a new arrow into it, aiming and firing it towards Yibo as well. Similar to Justin’s weapon, it simply bounded off <em>something</em> and landed back on the ground.</p><p>Yibo had ignored both of his assailants and instead turned his gaze towards Zhengting. He smiled and walked forward, taking the surprised magicant’s face in his chilly hands. He was slightly shorter than Zhengting, but his overwhelming presence overrode that difference entirely. A grin danced across his handsome face, the shouts of Justin and Chengcheng falling on deaf ears.</p><p>“I was waiting for you, magicant.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Battle in the Courtyard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting felt his breath caught in his throat as his hand went from grabbing his face to his neck. Immediately, Zhengting’s hands flew onto Yibo’s own to try and pry him off, but to no avail. Yibo’s eyes were almost soulless as he stared at Zhengting, not even a flicker of light in them.</p>
<p>“You are the final piece of my plan. The power I had gathered alone was not enough. I needed more,” Yibo said, his voice lacking any discernible emotion. Zhengting continued to struggle in the grip, eventually screaming as he sent fire out at Yibo. The magicant was dropped to the ground in a heaping mess, trying his best to rapidly put air back into his lungs.</p>
<p>Justin had run forward with Chengcheng, both of them lifting Zhengting up and taking them further into the room away from Yibo. The patron was standing there with his head down, the small sparks of the flame whispering away on either side of his face. Settling into a corner, the thieves acted as a barrier between Zhengting and Yibo, weapons drawn.</p>
<p>Eventually, the fire that engulfed the patron had subsided, revealing that he had hardly been affected by his. His hair looked a bit singed, but beyond that, there was no evidence that he had been set on fire. He slowly turned around to face the group and held out one hand.</p>
<p>“Hand over the magicant and I will let you two go.”</p>
<p>“In your dreams!” Justin snarled. He swung the rope attached to the knife around, ready to go into another attack. “You’ll have to get through us first.”</p>
<p>“That is simple enough,” Yibo said. Raising one hand, nothing seemed to happen at first. Everything was as still as it had been. Then, the ground under them began to rumble. The tree itself seemed to shake as the roots at its base moved and snaked along the ground, heading right for where the trio were.</p>
<p>“Scatter!” Zhengting shouted, pushing both Justin and Chengcheng away while he found himself leaping up to grab at the edge of the roof that was above their heads and flipping himself over it and onto the shingles. It was not a moment too soon as the roots of the trees had shot up into sharp points where they were once standing.</p>
<p>Yibo made a noise of disgust, moving his hand in one direction. On cue, the roots had settled back underground and rumbled around once more. While Chengcheng had taken up Zhengting’s idea and was now on top of the low hanging room, Justin was sprinting down the side of the garden.</p>
<p>“Justin! Get up here!” Chengcheng screeched before setting a bolt in his crossbow and aiming it towards Yibo. Just as the previous attacks had, the bolt fell to the ground before even touching the patron. In fact, Yibo didn’t even flinch as he snickered and moved his hand once more. The roots that were rumbling in the ground now shot out and slammed Justin against the wall.</p>
<p>Zhengting’s eyes widened as Justin met the wall with a disgusting smacking sound before sliding down the wall to lay motionless on the ground among the flowers. Immediately, Chengcheng began to scramble across the roof to reach him, nearly pushing past Zhengting and muttering the word “no” over and over.</p>
<p>With a smirk, Yibo watched as the taller thief leapt down to the ground to get to Justin before flexing his fingers. Zhengting tried to warn Chengcheng, shouting as loud as he could, but it was too late. The same roots had arisen from the ground once again and wrapped their way across Chengcheng’s torso. The magicant watched in horror as Chengcheng went from the ground to flying across the courtyard in a matter of seconds. Unlike Justin, he didn’t hit a wall, but still landed on the ground with a thud and did not move from his position.</p>
<p>“It is a just punishment,” Yibo said, turning back towards Zhengting. “If you had handed yourself over earlier, you would have saved these two from this fate.”</p>
<p>“You… You’re not human! You’re a monster!” Zhengting cried. The familiar feeling of energy coursed through him. A flame began to wind itself around both of his hands and burn brightly against the night sky.</p>
<p>“Then what are you? If you aren’t human, then aren’t you a monster as well?” Yibo tilted his head slightly, expression smug. Zhengting paused for a moment, flames dying down a bit. He had never thought of it that way.</p>
<p>The moment of hesitation was all the patron needed, smirking as the roots had come out of the ground once more and smacked Zhengting off his perch on the roof. He landed back into the courtyard, surrounded by crushed flowers. It took only a moment more for the roots to come back to him, the tendrils wrapping around the magicant and squeezing ever tighter. He let out a strangled cry as the breath was practically squeezed out of him.</p>
<p>Yibo brought Zhengting closer to him, assessing the magicant with a cold and distant expression. At this point, Zhengting could just notice the fact the patron’s feet were rooted to the ground, literally. Roots from the tree had kept him in place. Beyond that, his eyes seemed distant and far away, like he wasn’t truly there at all. Even when he spoke, his words seemed like they weren’t being formed correctly and had his careful construction to them. Any more thoughts Zhengting might have had were practically squeezed right out of him.</p>
<p>“Now that you are mine, I can finally reach my full potential. I can bring him back,” Yibo said, glancing back towards the tree. As if he wanted Zhengting to see as well, the roots slackened their grip slightly. In the branches of the tree sat a large crystal. It glinted in the moonlight and it was just possible to make out two figures inside of it. One was a man, dressed in priestly attire and the other was a young boy. They were curled into one another, seeming to be in a deep slumber. Yibo glanced at them with the most amount of emotion Zhengting had seen all night. His stare was filled with a deep longing, but beyond that nothing else. It looked wrong on his face.</p>
<p>“What do you need- gah!” Zhengting tried to ask something, maybe buy some time, but Yibo would have none of it. Instead, he squeezed the roots around Zhengting once more, stopping him from doing anything more. He could feel the thinner part of the roots crawl across his skin and slowly try to dig their way in.</p>
<p>“Give me your power. With the energy from those entranced by the moon blossoms and the power of a living magicant, I will have my wish. My love will come back to me!”</p>
<p>“You’re… fucking nuts,” from his position on the ground, Chengcheng had pushed himself up, arm wrapped around his chest. He was propped up with his crossbow, wincing as he staggered to a standing position. “No matter what you do… You won’t be able to bring anyone back to life. That’s what death means.”</p>
<p>Yibo didn’t offer a response, but instead lifted his hand once more, a root shooting out for Chengcheng. The tip of the root was as pointed as an arrow, the thief just barely jumping out of the way in time. It grazed his side, a small spurt of blood coming out from the cut. He groaned as he landed on the floor again, but forced himself to stand.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, leave! Take Justin and-” Zhengting tried to plead with the other, but only felt the intense grip of the roots once more. There were small pricks throughout his body as the root hairs had begun to suck away at him. His breath caught in his throat was now coming in shallow gasps. Dots of black littered his vision, making it nearly impossible to see much.</p>
<p>“We’re not leaving without you!” Chengcheng readied his crossbow once more as he clutched onto his bleeding side. The root that had come back out at him took another swipe at the thief, sending him flying towards the unopened front door that was at the front of the courtyard. Chengcheng landed right in front of it with a groan, trying to push himself up before collapsing onto the floor.</p>
<p>The root had snaked forward and wrapped itself around Chengcheng’s leg, pulling him closer to the tree. Elsewhere, a similar thing had happened to Justin, the blond now handing limply by his arms as the roots brought them both over to Zhengting.</p>
<p>“Now, it is time to begin the show, starting with these two…” Yibo brought Chengcheng to him first. Picking one flower, he blew it towards the taller thief, the pollen going right into his face. Chengcheng turned his head away the best he could and held his breath as the pollen wafted over him.</p>
<p>“Do not fear, you will simply feed me as the rest of your people will. Their energy will become mine and their bodies will become empty husks. The flowers have already planted their seeds in these people, driving them insane and slowly turning them into my fodder.” Yibo smiled and Chengcheng eventually broke and breathed in the pollen in a desperate gasp for air. “With their pitiful lives fueling me and the power from the magicant, I will be able to achieve anything.”</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, no!” Justin had woken up during some part of Yibo’s speech, now trying to wiggle against the roots that held his hands in place. He didn’t seem to be too badly injured and was ready to fight, but the restraints made it difficult. “Chengcheng! Chengcheng! Chengcheng you asshole! Don’t you dare lose that easily! <em>Chengcheng</em>!”</p>
<p>“He’s right, you know. After crashing through a window, I didn’t think giving up was your style.” Zhengting was clinging to the edge of consciousness at this point, his eyes fluttering close just as he heard a voice. At first, he thought the blood loss and oxygen deprivation was driving him crazy. Voices were talking in his head, so he must have been hallucinating in his final moments of life. And it wasn’t just any voice. It was Wenjun’s voice.</p>
<p>There was the sound of something hitting the tree and an inhuman screech came out from Yibo. Immediately, the trio were dropped to the ground. While Justin landed easily on his feet, Zhengting landed on the ground as he gasped for air. The small feeling of pin pricks left him, meaning that whatever had happened had also made them disappear. Chengcheng, on the other hand, was bleeding out onto the flowers below them. Immediately, the blond rushed over to his partner and lifted him up, dragging Chengcheng away from the tree.</p>
<p>Slowly, Zhengting was able to stand up once more, though his vision was swimming in front of him. He could now tell that something seemed to be wrong with Yibo as he howled in pain. On the front of a tree, a glaive had stuck itself into the bark. The tip had gone in deep, Wenjun rushing past Zhengting to take it out before helping the magicant up and rushing towards the side of the courtyard. Coughing, Zhengting found himself being held up by Wenjun once more, the mercenary looking at him with concern drawn across his handsome features.</p>
<p>“I thought… You left,” Zhengting coughed, shaking his head in disbelief. Slowly, Yibo’s screamed died down and a wind began to pick up, the flowers rustling violently.</p>
<p>“This is not the time to talk about this,” Wenjun said, standing up and brandishing his glaive once more. “For now, we have to end this.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded and shakily stood up next to the mercenary. “What do we do?”</p>
<p>“You can’t attack him directly!” Chengcheng called from across the courtyard, supported by Justin. They both looked exhausted, but the passion of battle was alight in their eyes. “All of our attacks have deflected right off him.”</p>
<p>“Then maybe, we don’t go for the person,” Wenjun said, eyeing the hole his glaive had made in the tree. Before he could say anything though, one of the roots had sprung out from the ground and was making headway for Wenjun. Zhengting meant to shout to alert the mercenary, but the vision of Chengcheng getting thrown to the side was too clear in his mind. Instead, Zhengting threw himself in front of Wenjun, trying to conjure up some magic to protect them both, but it never came.</p>
<p>Zhengting felt himself go flying back into the wall, all his breath being knocked out of him. Someone called his name in the distance but it was too hard to decipher who it was. As the root retracted, Zhengting watched as the book he previously kept stowed away under his shirt came with it, the pages fluttering out onto the ground in a mess. It had been knocked out of the place where it was secured from the sudden impact.</p>
<p>“No, what have you done!?” Yibo screamed, eyes widening as the book was rendered useless on the ground. It flickered open to a page of some diagram, showing the book in the center of the familiar flowers. It seemed to be powering whatever had happened here originally.</p>
<p>“Me? Oh, I haven’t done anything yet,” Zhengting said, standing to the ground, a flick of his own wrist and a small fire began to light up the pages of the book and slowly infect the flowers around him. In a blaze, half of the courtyard began to light up a brilliant shade of orange. “But It looks like you’ve done plenty.”</p>
<p>Zhengting walked over to Wenjun, bumping his fist into the shocked mercenary’s chest. Taking a deep breath, the taller man nodded and followed behind Zhengting as they made their way in front of Yibo and the massive tree. Justin rushed over to join them as Chengcheng was left a little further behind, tinkering on something with his crossbow. The smell of burnt foliage began to waft through the air and small embers floated around them.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng said he needs to buy him a little bit of time. This fight is ours now,” Justin said, the familiar glitter of hope in his eye. He was met with nods from the other two as they prepared themselves. Wenjun had tossed his sword over to Zhengting, who only looked confused.</p>
<p>“It’s yours now, Zhengting. I’m sure you can find a way to fight with it better than I can,” Wenjun didn’t say much else as he readied his glaive. On Zhengting’s other side, Justin had unraveled his rope dart and swung it a few times. Yibo stood between them and the tree, weakened, but filled with a new vengeance.</p>
<p>He threw the pointed roots outward, first towards Wenjun. He dodged out of the way of the first one and felt the second catch his leg. Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward and pushed his glaive upwards, sticking through the root and out the other end. Yibo screeched in pain once again, staggering down to the ground before picking himself back up.</p>
<p>“Go for the roots when they come after you!” The mercenary shouted, but now before narrowly dodging another root that came for his face. It split the skin on his cheek before he was stabbing upwards once more, causing another anguished scream.</p>
<p>“I’ve had enough of you pests!” Yibo hissed before changing his attack and redirecting the roots to go at Justin and Zhengting, the two getting closer to the main body to the tree. First was the magicant, who used his new sword to try and block the root that swung towards him. He had never trained with a sword before, which proved to impair his fighting slightly, but it was better than his empty handedness from before. It was sloppy and not nearly as neat compared to when he saw Wenjun fighting, but it was better than being at Yibo’s mercy.</p>
<p>Justin, meanwhile, had taken something out that was attached to his belt and drenched his knife with it before swinging it forward and burying it in one of the low hanging branches of the tree. With a grin, he tugged the knife down before following it up with sending it into the main part of the tree. One of the roots was coming after him startlingly fast, but Justin merely stood in front of the tree before ducking and rolling forward, the root smashing into the trunk of the tree and shattering.</p>
<p>“You! What have you done to me!?” Yibo’s voice no longer sounded remotely human, instead it was sharp and grating on the ears. The roots even seemed to creep up further onto his body, his torso being completely covered in them as he was held in place. “Die!”</p>
<p>Justin swung his rope dart up onto the branch, not looking to pierce it, but instead act as a grappling hook. Once one of the sides was secure, he ran forward and jumped, swinging up on the rope and out of the path of the root.</p>
<p>“What, can’t handle your poison?” He taunted, swinging back down onto the ground. This was met with another swipe from one of the roots, which he merely began to hoist himself up onto the rope and into the branches. “Chengcheng, I’m set!”</p>
<p>Elsewhere, Zhengting had found himself back to back with Wenjun, blindly slashing at any roots that got too close to either one of them. There was a familiar rumbling as one shot up from the ground between, breaking them up. Wenjun had rolled towards the slow growing fire that was taking up the flowers while Zhengting had landed not too far from Chengcheng.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing but you better, ngh, hurry up!” Wenjun shouted, piercing another root that had gotten too closer to him. Zhengting stood up and began to swipe once more at the roots coming for him, now on duty for protecting the thief as well.</p>
<p>“Give… me… one second!” Chengcheng shouted back before clicking his crossbow into place. Looking over, he noticed that Zhengting, like the others, were now sporting various slashes across his body from the roots. They were all tired and battered at this point, even Wenjun who joined late. Though, to the relief of everyone, the poison Justin had applied to his knife seemed to be working, the movements of the roots becoming more predictable and slower. That didn’t stop them from being vicious in their attacks. Their necks and limbs were targeted with startling accuracy and were taking on most of the damage. Yibo was seeking to maim first and kill later.</p>
<p>With a resolute nod, Chengcheng refocused himself onto the grand tree in front of him. Justin was hopping from branch to branch, the roots not bothering to damage their owner in return for going after the pest. He was aiming for the main part of the tree, a strange gap between the branches, and narrowed his eyes. “Zhengting, I need you to light this once it hits the tree.”</p>
<p>Zhengting, who had just successfully slashed at one of the roots looked over his shoulder at the thief. “You want me to what?”</p>
<p>“This is loaded with explosives. Mixed with the poison from earlier, this tree will be as good as gone once we shoot this, but we only have one shot. I didn’t bring enough ammo to make a second one,” Chengcheng explained. Before Zhengting could protest, he shot the bolt forward, the tip sticking into the tree by the hollowed section nearby Justin. “Now!”</p>
<p>Zhengting swung his sword around to defend the thief from an attack and aimed the tip of it towards the arrow. From the tip of the sword, a burst of fire shot forward, lighting the arrow up in an instant. Immediately, Justin had jumped down from the tree and covered his head as he landed on the ground. “Get down!”</p>
<p>Throwing himself over Chengcheng, Zhengting heard the sound of an explosion that resonated throughout the mansion. Windows that lined the courtyard were shattered in an instant, the glass shards going everywhere. The magnificent tree was now engulfed in fire, casting an eerie orange glow over everything. There was a deep creaking sound as the tree began to tip backwards, it’s crown toppling onto the fire that had taken up the surrounding flowers.</p>
<p>Wenjun was on the edge of this, watching as the flames seemed to overtake everything in their path. In the middle of it all, Yibo was screaming in pain, his body slowly engulfed by the flames. The mercenary stood up and made his way over to where Zhengting and Chengcheng were standing, Justin joining him there as well. The area smelt of burnt wood and combustion powder, but it was also the smell of victory. The roots had now shriveled into burnt crisps and Yibo was left in a crumpled mess on the ground. The flame had reached back and around the courtyard, but didn’t seem to reach where the patron was just yet.</p>
<p>The two thieves exchanged a cheer and high five with one another and even Wenjun smiled as he watched their enemy lay defeated. The only one who seemed to not be relishing in their victory was Zhengting. He was staring into the blaze as it raged on in front of them. While the two thieves wrapped each other in a cheerful embrace, Wenjun shifted his gaze on the magicant, frowning slightly. Stepping forward, he placed one hand on Zhengting’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Is everything okay?”</p>
<p>“Do you see it?” Zhengting asked softly, pointing to where the tree was burning. “The crystal in the branches.”</p>
<p>Wenjun frowned, looking out to only see the burning tree. “Zhengting, nothing’s there.”</p>
<p>As if in a trance, Zhengting made his way forward. Drawing Wenjun’s sword once more, he took in a deep breath before bringing down a flood of water to wash out the flames. They went out with a large sizzling noise filling the area. Smoke came out from the fire, the coughs of the three behind Zhengting ringing out in the empty courtyard.</p>
<p>“Zhengting what are you doing? We won! Let it all burn down for all we care! We have to get out of here!” Justin shouted between coughs, looking at the form of the magicant who stood in front of the burned garden.</p>
<p>“Not yet…” Zhengting murmured softly, walking towards where Yibo had collapsed onto the ground. Leaning down, Zhengting helped him up, the man coughing. As he did, several petals came out from his mouth, the same color as the flowers that once covered the ground.</p>
<p>“Where…?” Yibo looked around, his expression dazed. Zhengting frowned as he looked down at the man, his heart hurting for him.</p>
<p>“You’re safe now,” the magicant said softly. “You don’t have to worry.”</p>
<p>Yibo blinked a few times, gaze settling on Zhengting’s face. “Are you… an angel? Can you take me to them?”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt his heart break, realizing that Yibo had no idea what he did. Shaking his head slightly, Zhengting looked up towards the burned tree. In the, the crystal was fractured and chipped, Chengcheng’s arrow firmly planted in the middle of it. Zhengting lifted Yibo up, struggling slightly. It was obvious that whatever the tree had done to him, it had infected the patron from the inside. He was the true victim in all of this.</p>
<p>Wenjun appeared to Zhengting’s side, helping him up as the magicant staggered with Yibo’s weight. He nodded his head as Zhengting slowly made his way towards the tree, Yibo breathing shallowly in his arms. Once there, the branches crunched under Zhengting’s feet as he made his way to the crystal. He set Yibo down next to it before pulling out the charred arrow. The wood came apart easily in his hand, a bright light emanating from the crystal.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Zhengting was in a whole new area. It was a spring, surrounded by a forest of bamboo. In it, a man in white was meditating. He wore a ribbon around his forehead and bore a striking resemblance to Yibo. From somewhere above them, there was the sound of shouting as someone came running down a path. A man clothed in black with long hair was being followed by a slightly shorter boy, the same ribbon around his forehead as the man who was in the spring.</p>
<p>Zhengting soon realized that everything seemed somewhat hazy around them, as if he were looking through a foggy window. Their voices seemed distant, but the overall joy that was painted on the two newcomer’s faces was easily discernible. Zhengting couldn’t help but smile to himself as they two invaded the spring and wrapped the man inside it in a tight hug.</p>
<p>Looking a bit closer, Zhengting realized that the two people who had joined were the faces of the priest and the young boy who were trapped in the crystal. They all turned to face him and Zhengting stepped back slightly, not expecting to be stared out like that. The expressions on their faces were kind and welcoming, which was much better than anything he had received lately.</p>
<p>As sudden as the scene had come to him, it vanished in a blur of white. In his head, Zhengting swore he heard the words “<em>Thank you</em>” whispered to him, but he couldn’t exactly tell who had said it, but it left him with a warm and safe feeling.</p>
<p>“Zhengting?” Wenjun’s concerned voice was the first thing Zhengting awoke to. He had Zhengting’s head in his lap, Justin and Chengcheng hovering nearby. The magicant sat up slowly, pressing one hand to his head.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“Well, you pulled out Chengcheng’s arrow, there was their weird light, and when it went away, Wang Yibo had turned into a pile of flowers and you were passed out,” Justin quipped, tilting his head to the side. “What happened with you?”</p>
<p>“I was…” Zhengting paused, thinking of the people he saw in his dream. He glanced towards where Yibo’s clothes were. There was no body, but instead a collection of lotus petals that shifted in the breeze under the fabric. “Reuniting some old friends.”</p>
<p>No one questioned it any further as Wenjun helped steady Zhengting onto his feet, the magicant practically falling asleep in his arms. Eventually, Zhengting was shifted onto Wenjuns back as the group walked out of the mansion. They paused by the entrance, now completely void of guards, and looked back.</p>
<p>“Should we do something with this place?” Chengcheng asked. He held onto his injured side and Justin supported his other side.</p>
<p>Zhengting roused himself slightly, looking over the mansion. He shook his head, looking at the place sadly. “Let’s just go get some sleep for now,” the magicant said before passing out on Wenjun’s back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fight scenes are hard, but I hope you enjoyed reading it! And for those who didn't know, Yibo's concept is based off his character Lan Wangji from The Untamed. It'll be the only reference I make, so don't worry too much!<br/>The next chapter is a little bonus about how Wenjun got back into the fight, so look forward to that! Anyway, see you next time, stay safe, and know that Black Lives Matter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Wenjun Ex Machina</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To some degree, Wenjun was waiting for Zhengting to come back in after decking him in the face. The magicant had some bite to him, that much was true, but behind it was more frustration than anything else. He had a right to be angry, but that didn’t change Wenjun’s opinion of the whole situation. He always preferred staying out of conflict and this was a situation he didn’t want to get involved with.</p>
<p>Picking himself off the floor, the mercenary felt the gentle hand of the waitress who came by earlier on his shoulder. “You okay there hun?” Her voice held this peculiar twinge to it that came across as grating in Wenjun’s ears. He much preferred Zhengting’s rushed and sometimes messy pronunciation to whatever accent this woman had.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, thank you,” Wenjun brushed off her hand easily as he stood up. The food on the table had hardly been touched, save for Zhengting’s tea. Curiously, the mercenary pulled it up towards himself and gave it a sniff. It carried a sickeningly sweet scent, similar to that of the flowers that covered the town. It must have had the honey in it.</p>
<p>“You sure you don’t need ice?” The waitress asked once more, pushing herself a bit closer. Wenjun had become annoyed and pointedly pushed her away with an irritated huff.</p>
<p>“I am fine,” Wenjun accentuated each word firmly, ending with a small glare. He placed some coins on the table before walking out. He heard an irritated huff behind him and ignored it as he went back out into the light.</p>
<p>Looking around, it was clear that Zhengting was long gone. He wasn’t anywhere down the street and not even his voice was heard shouting for the other two as when he first ran out. Worry began to gnaw at Wenjun, but he shook his head. It didn’t matter to him anymore as to what happened to Zhengting. The magicant made his choice and Wenjun had made his, simple as that. They had no need to interact any further.</p>
<p>“Wenjun!” A voice calling out his name immediately made him freeze. Justin was dragging behind him a rather reluctant looking Chengcheng. The blond paused for a moment and looked around. “Where’s Zhengting?”</p>
<p>“He went off to find you guys,” Wenjun said with a shrug. Chengcheng narrowed his eyes from behind Justin.</p>
<p>“And what about you?”</p>
<p>“And what about me?” Wenjun shot back, folding his arms over his chest as he matched Chengcheng's glare. “I made my position clear earlier. I don’t intend to change it.”</p>
<p>Justin visibly deflated at the comment and glanced down. “I-I see… But Zhengting is looking for us? I mean, seeing that he isn't with you and stuff!” The blond tacked on the rushed ending with a bite of his lip. He looked around slightly as if to confirm that Zhengting was indeed no where nearby.</p>
<p>Wenjun let out a small smile and ruffled Justin’s hair. “Yes. And if you see him, please be careful. It seems that his tea was filled with whatever honey they’re using. I believe they got it from those flowers.”</p>
<p>Justin looked up hopefully, but was only pulled back by Chengcheng. The taller thief still looked wary of Wenjun and didn’t seem to appreciate the mercenary’s slight change of heart. Still, his mouth was kept closed in a thin line to avoid saying anything.</p>
<p>“We’ll go look for him then! Any idea where he’d be?”</p>
<p>“Other than looking for you?” Wenjun crossed his arms in front of his chest and hummed in thought for a moment. “Well, we found you first in the main throughway, so try heading back there. He’d probably think you’re back to your typical ways.”</p>
<p>Justin nodded and took Chengcheng’s wrist in his once more. “Okay, thank you! See you around!” The blond waved a few times before dragging Chengcheng back towards the center of the city. Wenjun watched them go, a stab of envy in his heart. While he often was seen as a loner in his mercenary bad, in reality, he enjoyed being around people. He liked watching them and their reactions, even if he wasn’t a part of the conversation. It had been a habit he picked up as a child and never quite grew out of it. Being around the two lively thieves and Zhengting had made him ache for the familiarity his old band of mercenaries gave him.</p>
<p>“Oh, and Justin?” Wenjun shouted down the road, just barely catching the disappearing blond’s attention. “Don’t let him know you saw me. Keep this between us.” He received a confused nod before they dashed away and into the crowd.</p>
<p>With another small sigh, Wenjun turned around to walk back down the road in the direction of the shopping district. It was as lively as it had been the day before, but some part of him thought it didn’t have the same glow. Despite the cheers, the flowers, and the laughter, it paled in comparison as to when he was watching Zhengting zip from place to place and smile at all the new items. Now it seemed to just be business as usual, nothing new or exciting in sight.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Wenjun headed to the weapon shop. He had been to this city a few times before with the other mercenaries, but they rarely ever bought new weapons. Instead, most of them chose to pillage weapons off the unfortunate souls who perished and waste their coin on drinks and women. Wenjun didn’t relate as much, and was often the only one with a good weapon because he chose to spend his coin on well made items instead.</p>
<p>With the tinkling of a chime, Wenjun stepped into the dark and dreary weapon shop. It seemed almost crowded by the amount of pointy objects it held. Each on seemed to be leaning into the center and threatening to stab whoever would get close enough to examine them. Then, similar to the armor shop, there was a counter in the back of the room that was thankfully free of any weapons. Behind the counter sat a familiar face, which lit up the moment he recognized who his latest customer was.</p>
<p>“Wenjun! I thought I’d never see you again!” Yanlei shot up from behind the table with a large grin on his face. The man came over and gave Wenjun a firm pat on the back as he was led further inside. “I’m glad you stopped by to visit! What are you in town for now?”</p>
<p>“I was just escorting someone here,” Wenjun forced a smile on his face as Yanlei launched into an explanation about the new weapons he got. The man was a bit on the forceful side, but had a kind heart. The first time Wenjun had visited, he allowed him to try out several of the weapons in the road before buying them. That in itself of unheard of with the threat of thievery being so high. Even still, Yanlei was a kind soul who took his business very seriously and knew a true customer when he saw one.</p>
<p>As he was led around the shop, Wenjun’s hand unconsciously went to the sword on his waist. It was a trophy his father gave to him once he had become of age. While in most cases, Wenjun knew he was just another member of the group, it was still his duty to take over the group should his father ever fall in battle. At least, it was. Now that he defected, Wenjun felt dirty to keep the sword at his side and didn’t want much else to do with it. Perhaps he’d throw it in the ocean and forget about it entirely. That seemed like a good idea. It would be cleansing to his soul at the very least, to rid himself of his father's shadow.</p>
<p>“And this is my newest stock!” Yanlei’s voice was suddenly close to Wenjun’s ear and pulled him out of his thoughts. “This one is from the capital too! It’s a type of polearm called a glaive. The handle is solid wood and the top is one of the sharpest blades I’ve ever seen! Good for slicing and impaling!”</p>
<p>Wenjun chuckled as he lifted the weapon into one hand. It was hefty for sure, but it was a good weight. Something about it felt right in his grasp. He glanced towards Yanlei, who gave him a nod of approval. Together, they stepped out of the shop and Wenjun began to play with the weapon a bit. First, a few spins to test the balance of it, followed by a few swipes and jabs to get the feel of actually fighting with it.</p>
<p>It wasn’t Wenjun’s first time with a polearm, he had experimented with all sorts of weapons growing up, but this one was different from the rest. He felt comfortable with it and his swipes were strong, sure, and accurate. It was certainly more like a deadly extension of himself instead just a weapon used for fighting. Exactly what he was looking for.</p>
<p>Yanlei leaned against the wall of the shop and clapped as Wenjun finished his set. The mercenary glanced over as a comforting hand made its way to his shoulder. “As expected, you really do master things too quickly. So, are you going to take it?” Wenjun glanced down at the sword on his side before nodding slowly. He needed to get rid of his old weapon and move to a new one. Besides, it wasn’t like it meant anything any more.</p>
<p>Yanlei led him back inside the shop, where Wenjun paid for the glaive and a strap to attach it to his back. The weapon itself was pretty long, but it was easier than just carrying it around in one hand. Yanlei waved happily as he left, chiming that he should visit once again. Wenjun merely nodded as he walked out.</p>
<p>On the outer window sill, a single jar sat with a flower inside of it. Looking back, Wenjun realized that there was not a single flower in the weapon shop and the one outside seemed long past its prime. It appeared that Justin and Chengcheng were not the only ones that put two and two together, but many chose not to act on it.</p>
<p>With a snort, the mercenary headed back to the stable with his new weapon affixed to his back. He would take Wei Chu out, leave town, and never look back. Zhengting would be with Chengcheng and Justin, hopefully, and they would take care of the magicant. Wenjun wasn’t needed in the equation and he preferred to keep it that way. No matter how interesting Zhengting was or how pretty his smile was, Wenjun would not fall for it again.</p>
<p>Approaching the stable, the beginning of night began to creep over the sky. Stars had begun to twinkle along the emerging dark sky, the sun sinking into oranges on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, with the people who didn’t seem to care about much about him and the beautiful decorations. In some ways, it was twisted. Many of them didn’t even know what the day was, never mind what was actually happening. They were prisoners of their own minds and Wenjun knew it. He just didn’t bother to help them.</p>
<p>Shaking the thought out of his head, Wenjun headed towards the stable to check on Wei Chu. The horse seemed the same as ever, chewing away the hay that was placed in front of him. He looked up when Wenjun approached him before looking around and snorting in his owner’s face. Wenjun frowned and began to gently pet him.</p>
<p>“What, are you here to be disappointed in me too?” Wenjun said softly. Wei Chu gave no response he heard besides a flick of his chestnut ears. The mercenary frowned. “He’s not here if that’s what you’re wondering. Just you and me buddy.”</p>
<p>Wei Chu simply stared back at Wenjun. The mercenary’s expression changed several times, going from an annoyed grimace to a strong frown. While the horse was simply a horse, it was times like this Wenjun wished he could speak. Would Wei Chu tell him to go back to the others and fight? Would he continue his silence to leave Wenjun with his thoughts? Either answer wasn’t appreciated.</p>
<p>“I hate how you do this,” Wenjun said softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I get it, go back, get Zhengting, stop the evil guy, be good for once. I get it.” He glanced up at Wei Chu. If the horse could express emotions, he seemed to be pleased. “God, I hate you for this.”</p>
<p>With a deep sigh, Wenjun walked out of the stable and looked around. In the city of this size, it would be nearly impossible to find Zhengting and the thieves. If they even found each other was a whole different topic he wasn’t ready for. First thing first, he would try to find at least one of them. Then he would go from there.</p>
<p>Without any warning, an explosion rang out over the city. Screams soon followed after it, the entire population fleeing into buildings or each other. Looking up, the beautiful statue that Zhengting had forced Wenjun to dance under was up in flames, the side of its face blown off and falling into the plaza below. More screams erupted as it fell to the ground and people began to flee from the scene.</p>
<p>“There’s a start,” Wenjun said with a shake of his head as he began to run into the night towards who was probably behind the explosion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We love it when the only sensible person decides to go back and spare some brain cells for the others! Also the name of this chapter was the working name of the previous chapter.</p>
<p>A short chapter, but just think of it as a tiny bonus! Until next time :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Boys Just(in) Want to Have Fun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the switching of some perspectives, I wanted to give everyone a little love (and pain) this chapter :) I hope it still makes sense!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, explain to me, why are you following us?” Wenjun said, rubbing between his eyebrows as if it’d ease the wrinkles that came between them. It was several days after their infiltration of Wang Yibo’s mansion and the injuries sustained by the group were mostly healed.</p>
<p>Justin, Chengcheng, Zhengting, Wenjun, and Wei Chu were on the main road down to the beach, Zhengting practically hopping in Wei Chu’s saddle. While Wenjun had planned all along to drop the magicant back into his hometown, their plans seemed to vary slightly when it came to leaving.</p>
<p>First, the two thieves had refused to leave the magicant’s side as he slept in the church for nearly two days, exhausted by whatever magic he used. At least one of them was by Zhengting’s side at any given time, though it mostly seemed to be Chengcheng who was also healing from the nasty slash on his side.</p>
<p>This meant that for any materials, Justin or Wenjun would typically be the ones who went into town to procure them. One day, after stopping by the shopping district to pick up some food, Justin had come back with a little more than food. In fact, he had come back with a whole wanted poster, the vague likes of Wenjun’s face under the bright red letters. The description only mentioned Zhengting in passing, apparently not enough known about the magicant to make a proper poster for him.</p>
<p>It was this that prompted Wenjun to firmly decide he wanted to leave the town, and the group, to head off on his own. Sadly, when you’re with three of the most headstrong people in the world, leaving so simply isn’t an option. Even with Zhengting still recovering and Chengcheng healing, Justin had managed to take Wenjun’s horse from the stable, bring it outside, and convince the mercenary he’ll only get it back if he lets the others join them.</p>
<p>“Because we’re your only friends?” Justin said with a tilt of his head. He was on Wei Chu’s other side, Zhengting and Chengcheng both riding on the horse’s back.</p>
<p>“Can someone like him have friends?” Chengcheng scoffed, only to get an elbow in the stomach from Zhengting.</p>
<p>“Maybe if you’re not that mean!” The magicant hissed, turning back around and sniffing. “Besides, I was a perfectly fine friend!”</p>
<p>“But now you’re our friends too!” Justin hummed, skipping ahead of the group. “And, the poster only said Wenjun was traveling with one other person! No one would believe that someone who looks so gloomy would find another two.” As if to prove his point, the blond pulled a wanted posted out of his bag and held it up.</p>
<p>Zhengting did his best to contain his laughter, but it was hard. The reason was mostly because Justin was so <em>right</em>. The Wenjun in the poster looked ages older and had a scowl on his face. The only resemblance it got right was the mole located under his eye, but beyond that it was hard to really compare the two.</p>
<p>“Since when did I say any of you were my friends?” Was all Wenjun muttered as they got closer to the water’s edge.</p>
<p>Zhengting rolled his eyes, knowing that while Wenjun was sounding grumpy, he must have been secretly happy with the company. From the time the mercenary’s band was in the tavern, Zhengting always watched him sit and be with others, even if he didn’t talk much. Besides, the magicant knew better than anyone that being alone truly was the worst feeling.</p>
<p>Behind him, Zhengting heard Chengcheng mutter something about Justin, which caught the blond’s attention. Now they were bickering about something behind him, each one occasionally reaching out to playfully smack the other. Zhengting leaned forward on Wei Chu’s neck, smiling at Wenjun. The mercenary didn’t say anything, but instead looked at the magicant once before looking back towards the road.</p>
<p>Then again.</p>
<p>And again.</p>
<p>Each time, Zhengting said nothing, but the grin only grew wider and wider on his face. Eventually, Wenjun sighed and gave up, knowing the other would burst if he wasn’t addressed. “Okay, what do you want?”</p>
<p>“Can we please stop by the beach?” Zhengting asked, face lighting up. “Pretty please? I’ve never been to a beach before! I want to see what it’s like!”</p>
<p>“Zhengting, we don’t have time to go to the beach,” Wenjun said with a dismissed shake of his head. “We’re on the run now.”</p>
<p>“I heard beach! Are we stopping by it?”</p>
<p>Looking back, Chengcheng was just barely on Wei Chu’s back now, Justin hanging off his shoulders and practically dragging him off. Very abruptly, the horse came to a stop at Wenjun’s command, effectively sending Chengcheng onto Justin and the both of them onto the ground.</p>
<p>“No, we aren’t. We need to go to the next town,” Wenjun insisted before starting to lead Wei Chu forward again with a giggling and lone Zhengting on his back. “The more time we spend on the open road, the more likely we are to get caught.”</p>
<p>The two thieves stayed in a pile on the ground for a moment before getting up, Justin taking a second to help Chengcheng before sprinting in front of Wenjun’s path and holding his arms out. “C’mon, please? One day won’t hurt us, I promise!” Justin, which over time they discovered was the youngest in the group, was possibly the most successful person Zhengting had ever seen use the puppy-dog eyes approach to things.</p>
<p>Wenjun stopped and tried to stare down the blond, his own glare harsh. That did almost nothing to Justin, who kept up the act. The mercenary eventually clicked his tongue and looked away, turning to Zhengting for support. “Tell him that we’re not going to the beach!”</p>
<p>While he assumed he was going to get backup from the magicant, Wenjun instead found himself facing another pair of puppy dog eyes. Zhengting had copied Justin’s look the best he could, including a pout that jutted his bottom lip outwards. Behind him, even Chengcheng was trying the look out, though it didn’t seem to match up as well as the other two. “Please?”</p>
<p>Wenjun, now realizing he was outnumbered at three to one, shook his head. He was all alone. He half heartedly pushed Justin away, who had been stepping closer this whole time, and went ahead of the others. “Fine, fine. You guys win. One day at the beach. But I swear, if one person says anything about a wanted posted and me, we are leaving. Got that clear?”</p>
<p>The three light up expectantly and began to nod their heads enthusiastically. “Yessir!” Came the response, the three chorusing together. Wenjun only found himself sighed and shaking his head more times than Zhengting could count as he led the way down to the beach.</p>
<p>By the time they made it down to the cliffside beach, the sun had passed its peak and was starting to sink in the sky. The beach itself was larger than Zhengting had expected. Filled with a surprisingly large quantity of people, the sparkling blue-green water seemed almost magical as the waves lapped against the shore. The strip of buildings along the cliff face weren’t much, most people opting to stay somewhere in the city then come down here in the morning. There were a few places for food, a general store with a tailor’s inside it, a stable, and some inns scattered about. It was simple and calm despite the overwhelming amount of people that seemed to visit.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, Wenjun, let’s go swimming!” Justin was bouncing in front of the mercenary as they made their way down to the boardwalk. Immediately, Wenjun had gone on high alert, his eyes scanning over the people gathered around them.</p>
<p>“We can go swimming once we have somewhere to stay,” the taller commented, his voice tinged with a slight edge. Zhengting frowned as guilt began to chew away at him. Wenjun did seem nervous to even be there, and with your face on a wanted poster, it was easy enough to figure out why.</p>
<p>“We’ll go find an inn then!” Justin took Chengcheng’s hand and ran down the boardwalk, the two playfully shouting back at one another.</p>
<p>Zhengting slid off of Wei Chu, crossing his arms as he stood next to Wenjun. “You know, if you’re really that uncomfortable, we can come back later.”</p>
<p>“Oh, so now you’re on my side,” the taller teased with a roll of his eyes. Zhengting pouted slightly as they went over to the stable, checking in Wei Chu for the night.</p>
<p>“Well, I just wanted to see the water, that’s all!” Zhengting said, scuffing his foot on the ground. “And the other two just… kind of overwhelmed me, you know?”</p>
<p>Wenjun handed off Wei Chu to the stable owner and pushed Zhengting’s hat down onto his head playfully as we walked by. “Taking a little longer of a break won’t hurt anyone, Zhengting. You deserve it. Now, let’s see where those monsters got off too.”</p>
<p>Zhengting pushed his hat back on his head with a small smile. Wenjun seemed like he was adamant on not letting them forget just how much he wanted to be alone, but it was warm times like this Zhengting knew he somewhat enjoyed their company. With a smile, he dashed forward and latched himself onto Wenjun’s arm like he did when they first were walking around during the festival. It was a natural place for Zhengting to be when they were exploring new areas. Perhaps it was more for Zhengting’s sake than Wenjun’s, but neither one ever brought it up.</p>
<p>Further down the boardwalk, Chengcheng and Justin were coming out of an inn, dressed in significantly less than what they were wearing before. Chengcheng’s side was still wrapped in bandages, but those were just precautionary for now to be sure the wound was completely closed, while Justin was riddled with healing cuts and bruises from the battle besides, but most of his seemed to be gone. They both were in their underclothes, most of their daily wear and weapons left behind.</p>
<p>As they approached the thieves, Justin handed over their key and pointed to the inn they just came out of that was adorned with a blue coloring on it. “We got a room in there, the room number is on the key. If you need us, we’ll be on the beach. Later!” As if it were an unspoken deed, both boys sprinted off towards the water, embroiled in a fairly even race. They dashed around other beach goers with surprising skill and accuracy, but that didn’t seem to stop them from kicking up sand in people’s faces as they flew past.</p>
<p>“Shall we go?” Wenjun nudged Zhengting out of his thoughts, the magicant looking up at the taller. While watching Chengcheng and Justin go at It, his gaze was fixed somewhere out on the beach, cheeks tinted pink before turning back towards Wenjun.</p>
<p>“O-Oh, sure!” Following the taller forward, Zhengting tried to keep his gaze ahead of him. They arrived in the inn and showed the innkeeper their key before heading up the nearby set of stairs. Arriving on the third floor, Wenjun unlocked their room, only to see that Justin and Chengcheng had bought one with two beds only, one of them already covered in their clothes and weapons.</p>
<p>“You know, with the amount of money that they both have stolen over the years, don’t you think we could have gotten a bigger room?” Wenjun muttered. He began placing his own items a little neater on the end of the bed as he stripped down into more beach appropriate attire. Zhengting found himself chuckling slightly.</p>
<p>“I feel like those are odd words to come out of the mouth of a mercenary,” Zhengting said playfully. He followed Wenjun’s lead and began to take off his armor, laying it on a nearby chair.</p>
<p>About two seconds into this, Zhengting felt his face flush as he realized he was getting undressed as someone in the same room, but for once not because they were about to have sex, but they were about to have fun. They were going down to the beach to play in the water and maybe join Chengcheng and Justin in whatever shenanigans they were getting up to. To Zhengting, that just made him positively giddy inside. He had never done anything like that back at home.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll head out first,” Wenjun said with a wave of his hand. Zhengting glanced up for a moment, just to see the mercenary walk out the door. It’s not like the magican’t hadn’t seen him shirtless before, but it was the fact there were now three new scars on his back in the shape of arrow heads alongside some pink colored cuts that were most likely from Wang Yibo that caught Zhengting’s attention. They were new beside the series of faded scars and they were because of Zhengting. <em>For</em> Zhengting.</p>
<p>Looking down at his own body, Zhengting felt cheated in a way. There was some light bruising and a few cuts from the battle, but most of it had faded to leave behind his usually lighter toned skin. He had muscles too, of course, as he never truly stopped street performances and occasionally did them when he found someone willing to cover a shift for him, but beyond that, he was practically unmarred and pristine.</p>
<p>And to some degree, it showed just how naive he was to the real world.</p>
<p>Shaking the thought out of his head, Zhengting finished undressing and hurried down the stairs to find Wenjun standing by the front patio area. He was looking out onto the ocean, a slight breeze making his hair flow back behind him. Playfully, Zhengting went up and patted his shoulder with a smile.</p>
<p>“Geez, add any more sunlight and you’d dazzle the whole beach!” Wenjun jumped slightly before rolling his eyes and quickly walking away from Zhengting.</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’m exactly dazzling anyone,” Wenjun shot back. Zhengting now kept a safe distance from Wenjun as they walked, not wanting to be too clingy as they made their way down the beachfront.</p>
<p>Once they hit sand, Zhengting stopped and began to wiggle his toes in it, giggling slightly. Wenjun, who was a few paces ahead of the magicant, raised one brow. “Something funny?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, the sand is! It feels so weird and smooth, you know? But it also moves all around your feet!” Zhengting said, crouching low and holding some in his hands. Like a child, he watched it as it drained out from between his fingers and back onto the ground. He did this several times, until he was satisfied at least, before straightening himself up with a grin. “Shall we head down to the water?”</p>
<p>Wenjun walked beside Zhengting as they made their way down. Once they reached the edge of the water, Wenjun stopped and grabbed onto Zhengting’s arm. Further down the way, Chengcheng and Justin were splashing each other in waist deep water, but stopped once they saw their companions.</p>
<p>“Do you even know how to swim?” Wenjun asked. He could practically see Zhengting think through it, his jaw going slightly slack and head tilting to the side.</p>
<p>“... No?”</p>
<p>“Well, if you don’t know how-”</p>
<p>Wenjun was cut off as another man entered the picture, walking up to Zhengting. He had his own wild look to him, something akin more to a monster than Wenjun’s battle-battered body. He slipped one hand around Zhengting’s waist, the magicant’s cheeks going red. It seemed at though this man was what drew Zhengting's attention to the beach earlier with the way he began to act as if he was star-struck by the man.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that, I overheard you two talking and thought I could help. I’m a local from around here, so teaching people to swim is kind of like a service I offer,” the man paused to wink at Zhengting. “Though, it’s not the only thing I offer.”</p>
<p>Wenjun dropped Zhengting’s arm and couldn’t hold back the scowl that took over his face. “I’m sorry, but we had it going just fine here. We don’t need your services.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng and Justin had now come to stand behind Wenjun, glancing between the newcomer and the mercenary. It was silent for a tense moment before Zhengting took a step forward, hitting Wenjun’s chest with the back of his hand.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Wenjun! You said you were getting tired babysitting me anyway, right? Go have fun with Justin and Chengcheng! I’ll be fine with…” The magicant trailed off, looking at the man who smiled back at the other three.</p>
<p>“Zitao, but just Tao is fine.’</p>
<p>“Exactly! Besides, who better to teach than a local? I’ll see you guys later, okay?” Zhengting waved goodbye to the rest of his group, smiling as he followed his new companion into the water.</p>
<p>Justin awkwardly put one arm on Wenjun’s shoulder, the whole look not working quite right seeing as Wenjun was taller than the blond. “You’re not going to do anything about that?”</p>
<p>“Do anything about what?”</p>
<p>“About Zhengting being stolen away so easily,” Chengcheng added on as he rested his chin on Justin’s shoulder. “You aren’t going to go after him and declare your love or something?”</p>
<p>Wenjun let out a huff as he dislodged Justin from his shoulder and stalked towards the water. “I don’t love him. I just don’t want his… Tendencies to affect the group.”</p>
<p>The two thieves stared as Wenjun went into the water, immediately diving under the surface. He popped up a little further out before he continued swimming back between the shore and deeper waters.</p>
<p>“He’s jealous, huh?” Chengcheng said, chin still on Justin’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence as they watched the mercenary tear through the innocent water.</p>
<p>“Wanna build a sandcastle?”</p>
<p>“You bet!”</p>
<p>Staying by the shoreline that Wenjun was swimming by, the thieves went to work on building a sand castle. Their goal was to make it look fancy and intricate, but was failing miserably by their lack of structural design. Still, they pressed on until a sizable lump of damp sand had been made and now trying to make at least something out of it. When they were nearing a questionable completion, the unspeakable had happened. Their hard work and dedication had become a stupendous mess when Chengcheng slipped on a piece of seaweed and fell right into their misshapen sand blob, causing the whole design to be lost to the ages.</p>
<p>Despite this disaster, Justin couldn’t help but double over in laughter when a sea star that they had put on the entryway for decoration now became attached to Chengcheng, covering the older boy’s stomach. Standing up, Chengcheng was covered almost completely in sand, save for the sea star, and begrudgingly pulled it off himself. It left behind a beautiful star pattern on his stomach that was safe from all the sand that covered the rest of him. As if in some kind of vague form of revenge, Chengcheng took the sea star that he peeled off of himself and began to chase Justin with it, the blond screaming in mock fear as they made their way down the shoreline.</p>
<p>“Keep that thing away from me!” Justin shrieked, feeling something fly by his head. Chengcheng had now resorted to throwing bits and pieces of seaweed at Justin as they ran, trying to get him to slow down. “That isn’t fair!”</p>
<p>“Whoever said this was a fair battle?” Chengcheng called out before aiming another piece. This one made a sick smacking sound as it hit Justin’s shoulder. Immediately, the blond let out some kind of unholy noise that made it evident that he did not like the feeling of the seaweed on his back, so Chengcheng found this was the perfect moment to enact his revenge.</p>
<p>Diving forward, he managed to slap the sea star onto the middle of Justin’s back, the creature sticking with a dubious smack. Chengcheng had fallen forward and landed on his face once more, but it was worth it. His job was completed. A questionable revenge had been taken.</p>
<p>Justin, however, wasn’t as thrilled. Try as he might, the sea start was placed so perfectly that no matter how he distorted his arms, it was impossible for him to reach what was now stuck onto him. He flailed his arms around for a few minutes as Chengcheng watched smugly from his place in the sand. Justin was now whining loudly about it, but it was hard to not let the feeling of immense satisfaction disallow Chengcheng from helping.</p>
<p>That was until he got knocked on the back of the head. Fresh out of the water, Zhengting had appeared, his new friend trailing behind him. With a soothing voice, the magicant calmed down the blond and carefully peeled the sea creature off him before placing it back into the water.</p>
<p>“Aw, Zhengting, you ruined my fun!” Chengcheng whined, but was only met with a teary eyed glare from Justin.</p>
<p>“That was not <em>fun</em>!” Justin insisted before walking over and scuffing sand onto Chengcheng. “Jerk.”</p>
<p>Zhengting rolled his eyes, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the two get into a small scuffle on the sand, Chengcheng winning quickly and pinning Justin down. “And getting your ass kicked is more fun?”</p>
<p>“Now, now, you two don’t have to act like kids to have fun. You’re both old enough to be civil about your arguments.” Zhengting chided, breaking them apart. Immediately, the two stood up straight and hung their heads as if they were being scolded by a parent. The magicant looked around, pausing for just a moment. “Where’s Wenjun?”</p>
<p>“In the water!” Justin said, perking up to look over to where they last saw the mercenary doing laps. Seemed as though he was still at it.</p>
<p>“In that case, let him know he doesn’t have to worry about me tonight and can have the bed to himself, okay?” The thieves nodded as Zhengting walked back over to Zitao and snuggled under the arm that was placed over his shoulders. He seemed to almost ignore the existence of anyone else on the beach as they made their way down the shoreline. Both the thieves shuddered.</p>
<p>“Something about that whole thing just doesn’t look right,” Chengcheng said, glancing towards where Wenjun had paused his laps to bob up and down in the water and watch the shore.</p>
<p>“You mean Zhengting with someone who isn’t Wenjun? I think so too,” the blond agreed with a nod. “Poor Wenjun.”</p>
<p>They watched Zhengting disappear into the crowd with the strange man before going back over to where Wenjun was. He was fresh out of the water and flipped his hair back before looking around.</p>
<p>“Where did you two go?”</p>
<p>“We met up with mom,” Justin said with a shrug. He began to stretch as Chengcheng went over to stand beside the mercenary. The blond gave a wave before running into the water and diving under the blue waves.</p>
<p>“Who’s mom? I thought-”</p>
<p>“Zhengting, Wenjun. We met up with Zhengting,” Chengcheng clarified as he watched Justin swim out in the water. A smile graced the older thief's lips as he watched Justin scream from something touching his foot, haphazardly swimming away from whatever it was. “You, know I’d be pissed too if someone took Justin away like that.”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted, walking down the shoreline as they kept up with the boy who was swimming, “I’m not pissed about anything.”</p>
<p>“That sounds like a pretty pissy remark to me,” Chengcheng said, a sly grin on his face. The mercenary tried to ignore the younger’s remark, but his eyes scanning the beach seemed to betray him.</p>
<p>“Like I said earlier, he’s free to do whatever he wants-”</p>
<p>“You mean, whoever.”</p>
<p>A harsh smack to the back of the head once more. “He’s free to do <em>what</em>ever he wants. We’re just a small traveling group and that’s it. I frankly could care less about his nightlife as long as he doesn’t bring it back to us.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng frowned as he listened to Wenjun’s dismissing words. It was obvious the mercenary had felt some attraction to the magicant, he just didn’t want to say it. “So, what about you?”</p>
<p>“What about me?”</p>
<p>“Well, don’t you have some kind of nightlife? You traveled all over the place, right? You must have had your own fair share of escapades,” Chengcheng nudged Wenjun with a smug look on his face, but didn’t expect to see the mercenary’s rosy tinted cheeks. The thief’s eyes widened as he placed one hand over his mouth. “No! Wenjun are you really…?”</p>
<p>“I am not a virgin, if that’s what you’re implying,” the taller snapped back, narrowing his eyes into a glare that shut Chengcheng up in an instant. “I just am more selective with my partners than most.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng got the feeling that he shouldn’t push the subject any further as he awkwardly continued to walk down the shoreline. Somewhere out in the water, Justin was making a fool of himself as he leapt out of the water like a dolphin in an attempt to make some children laugh.</p>
<p>“I’ll be back!” Chengcheng shouted before going into the water, his injury forgotten about for the time being. Instantly, his companion ran over to Chengcheng and began explaining whatever was going on. He and Justin went back and forth about something, eventually turning into a shouting match with them against the group of kids Justin was formerly trying to impress.</p>
<p>Wenjun watched, slightly amused as it became a splash fight between the two thieves and the group of children, shouts and laughter audible from the shoreline. His attention was suddenly drawn as someone had gently touched his back. Immediately, Wenjun went into fight mode, grabbing the wrist and holding it about the person’s head. He was met with a girl with big eyes who seemed shocked by the action. She had a friend beside her as well who seemed equally as startled. With a sigh, Wenjun dropped her hand and ran a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that, you just startled me. Do you need something?” The mercenary crossed his arms over his chest, tapping one foot on the wet sand below him.</p>
<p>“U-Um, I was wondering if you and your friends wanted to join us for dinner or something?” The girl said with a pink flushed face. She looked down, unable to meet Wenjun’s gaze, with her friend patting her back. “W-We have another friend with us, so the numbers will be fine and-”</p>
<p>“Sorrrrrry, boy’s night out!” Wenjun felt someone come crashing onto his back. Justin’s head popped out over his shoulder, his lopsided grin hiding any ill will. “Maybe next time, ladies!”</p>
<p>“O-Oh, sorry! We’ll take our leave now,” she said softly before rushing back into the crowded beach, her friend calling after her.</p>
<p>“What was that for?” Wenjun asked, slightly annoyed at the interference from the blond.</p>
<p>“Were you planning on going to dinner alone? We certainly wouldn't have joined you,” Justin narrowed his eyes for a moment, fixing Wenjun with a hard stare. Behind them, Chengcheng was slowly walking out of the water. “You know, you still have time to get Zhengting back.”</p>
<p>“Will you two stop that!?” Wenjun shouted in Justin's face. Even the mercenary himself seemed shocked by the outburst, blinking a few times as if he didn’t believe he had done that himself. Justin and Chengcheng stared at him with wide eyes before exchanging a glance and slowly backing towards the beach.</p>
<p>“Well, that’s our cue to go! Later Wenjun!”</p>
<p>“We’ll be at the inn if you need us!” Without another word towards the mercenary, the two scampered off towards the inn.</p>
<p>Wenjun groaned to himself, as he brought his hand to his forehead. He had had it with the thieves and Zhengting. Looking at the setting sun in the distance, he made his resolution: Tonight he was going to leave and find a new place to settle himself. He will forget about Justin and Chengcheng and he will most certainly forget about Zhengting.</p>
<p>Walking back to the boardwalk, he glanced towards one of the restaurants that was there, his stomach grumbling slightly. At the very least, he could leave after he got some food and drink in him. Making his way back to the inn, Wenjun knocked on the door before walking inside. To his surprise, the two thieves weren’t taking up their bed and the room was empty apart from their clothes.</p>
<p>Glancing over at the desk where Zhengting had laid his clothes, they were still there, completely undisturbed. It was obvious the magicant hadn't returned to the room since they first went there this morning. Shaking his head, Wenjun pulled on some of his clothes, the salt water making his body sticky and wet. His plan might have another set back if he did plan to rinse himself off at one point.</p>
<p>Trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of his clothes, Wenjun made his way back down to the boardwalk with a simple pair of pants and white undershirt shirt on. Stepping into a restaurant that was several buildings down from the inn, Wenjun picked a seat at the end of the bar to spend the evening. The sun had gone down past the horizon and everything was lit with torches that adorned nearly every building.</p>
<p>Ordering his drink, Wenjun sipped on it tenderly as he watched everyone else enjoy themselves. Further in the back, small families were sitting with children, far away from the rambunctious men that occupied the seats at the bar. They mostly seemed to already be past their tipping point, shouting out old drinking songs and happily poking fun at one another.</p>
<p>This was the kind of quiet observation he was used to. Not talking to anyone and not babysitting some kids either. It was easier this way, being alone. Even when he was in his father’s mercenary band, he was seen as an outcast and loner who would prefer to train and fight on his own. It wasn’t the fact that people could bring him down, but the fact that people couldn’t keep up with him was infuriating.</p>
<p><em>Zhengting couldn’t keep up with you and you were fine with that</em>, a little voice called in his head, but Wenjun tried to drown it out with another swig from his drink. He didn’t care about Zhengting and that was that. No need to spend extra time thinking about him, especially if he was off fucking some random guy.</p>
<p>There was a loud hollering from the bar as someone had walked over to join the obnoxiously noisy group that was there. Several men began to crowd around the newcomer and Wenjun looked over for just a moment to see what kind of person would cause a crowd to grow into such a tizzy.</p>
<p>In the center of the group was the man who had latched onto Zhengting at the beach, the magicant nowhere in sight. He had ordered his own drink before several of the men around him began to question him, their faces flush with a drunken blush.</p>
<p>“So, how was it, fuckin’ a man? Decently pretty one you got there,” one of them bellowed, the others joining in laughter.</p>
<p>The man, Zitao if Wenjun remembered correctly, merely smirked and took a drink out of the pitcher that was offered to him. “Well, you know, a hole is a hole after all. If you guys want, I can lend him to you.”</p>
<p>“Ew, gross! Like I’d want to stick my dick into someone’s ass!” One of them screeched, the others nodding in agreement.</p>
<p>“Hey, you don’t know the real pleasure until you fuck a nice and tight asshole,” Zitao said as he lifted his glass. “I’d lend this guy to you, but after me, I don’t know how tight he is anymore!”</p>
<p>The rest of the men laughed and pat the man on the back as Wenjun could feel anger boiling up inside it. He didn’t know Zhengting well enough to criticize him on his choice of partners, but with an asshole like this, he knew anyone else would be better. Quickly chugging down the rest of his drink and leaving his coin on the counter for the barkeep to pick up, Wenjun walked over to the group, who were now on a different topic.</p>
<p>He was taller than most of them, including his intended target. Sticking his arm through the crowd of men, Wenjun pulled Zitao towards him, fixing the shorter with a glare.</p>
<p>“What are you-” Zitao didn’t get to finish his sentence as the mercenary smashed the glass into the man’s head. Zitao became limp in Wenjun’s grip as the glass made contact, stunned.</p>
<p>“That was for Zhengting,” Wenjun hissed before dropping Zitao to the ground and stalking out of the place with several people shouting behind him. Wenjun knew the effort wasn’t worth it and walked back to the inn with a bad taste in his mouth.</p>
<p>Why, despite telling himself he was going to leave, couldn’t he? There were hundreds of other mercenaries Zhengting could hire if he wanted to and the two thieves had functioned fine by themselves for years, so why was it that he couldn’t leave them alone? Why was it every time he planned on leaving, something drew him back?</p>
<p>The questions continued to circle in his head as he went up the stairs towards his room in the inn. What he didn’t expect, though, was Zhengting sitting outside it, wrapped in a thin blanket. Whatever shorts he had been wearing when he went out earlier were gone and even in the dim light of a single candle down the hall, it was easy to see he was in bad shape.</p>
<p>Wenjun walked over quietly, crouching down and gently shaking Zhengting awake. The magicant woke with a start, eyes going wide in fear as he saw Wenjun, before he relaxed. “Wenjun?”</p>
<p>The mercenary nodded and rubbed his thumb across Zhengting’s cheek, feeling the dried up trail of tears. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>The smaller man opened his mouth before closing it and looking away. He brought one hand up to brush Wenjun’s hand away. “Yeah, ‘m fine. I didn’t want to disgust you, so I thought I could wait out here until we leave tomorrow…”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted as he unlocked the door to their room, revealing the mess that was Chengcheng and Justin on their bed. The two thieves were fast asleep, their snores echoing throughout the small room. Noticing Zhengting didn’t even budge when the door was opened, Wenjun rolled his eyes as he bent down to pick the magicant up. Zhengting let out a small squeak as he felt Wenjun lift him up, quickly putting his hands over his mouth so as to not wake up the others.</p>
<p>“I’m not disgusted, Zhengting,” Wenjun whispered, placing him down on their bed and lighting the candle in their room. “I’m just worried about you.” He paused for a moment and set the candle down on the small nightstand that was next to the bed. “Besides, I heard what that asshole said.”</p>
<p>Zhengting tilted his head to one side, wrapping the blanket around himself tighter. “Wh-what did he say?”</p>
<p>Wenjun went over to the washing basin on one side of the room, taking the damp cloth out of it and returning to Zhengting’s side. “Just some real trash. You don’t have to worry about it.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded and left himself be gently scrubbed by Wenjun. Under the flickering candle, Zhengting would have found the gesture romantic and touching in any other circumstances, but tonight was not one of them. Instead, he felt used and disgusting. Wenjun was simply taking pity on the poor sheltered boy who didn’t know anything. As the cloth got further up his legs, Zhengting stood up abruptly and took the cloth out of Wenjun’s hands.</p>
<p>“I can take care of myself from here. You can get some rest,” Zhengting left the small circle of candle light to go over where the wash basin was. He could feel Wenjun’s stare on him as he let the blanket pool around his feet. As quiet as before, Wenjun walked over to Zhengting and placed a hand on the magicant’s back. It was adorned with various red marks that crisscrossed one another, some of them even dripping with blood. His arms were a bit different, instead just carrying a mark of rope burn on them, the same rough pattern appearing on Zhengting’s wrists. His legs seemed to carry some light bruising, but that was nothing compared to the various hand marks that littered his body and were just visible under the light.</p>
<p>“Just let me help?” Wenjun asked softly, still facing Zhengting’s back. When he saw the head in front of him merely shake sadly, the mercenary knew not to push the topic any further and headed back to their bed. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to wake me up.”</p>
<p>Zhengting mumbled something in agreement before going back to washing himself up, hissing as he touched a particularly tender part of his body. Looking back over his shoulder, the magicant could see Wenjun had fallen asleep on the edge of their bed with one arm splayed out. Something about the mercenary looking so peaceful in his resting position made Zhengting’s heartache, but he did his best to ignore it.</p>
<p>Turning back around, Zhengting saw a pair of eyes glint in the candle light, looking at him sadly. Justin had awoken sometime since Wenjun had let him in, the youngest watching silently. Embarrassed, Zhengting covered himself back up with the sheet the best he could and went over to the thief. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Justin shot back, a frown set deep in his features. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Zhengting smiled and ruffled the blond’s hair. “I’ll be okay. Get some rest, we’re back out on the road again tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“I hate this…” Justin mumbled, curling up into Chengcheng, who seemed to be sleeping through everything perfectly well. “You both do this. Saying you’re okay when you’re hurting. Can’t you just be honest?”</p>
<p>Zhengting paused and watched as Justin drifted back off to sleep. He held the sheet tighter around himself as he went back to the basin to finish washing himself. It would be cheesy to start crying about all his worries and troubles right then, but it was hard to hold back. However much Zhengting <em>wanted</em> things to be okay, he knew they wouldn’t be. That was just how reality, his reality, worked. And nothing that Justin, Wenjun, or Chengcheng could do was going to fix it.</p>
<p>Once the magicant deemed himself clean enough, he went back over to his clothes and slid on his pants and shirt before curling up on the chair. He would sleep there for the night, far away from whatever mixed signals Wenjun was giving him.</p>
<p>When the next morning came around, Zhengting noticed two things. The first was that the thieves had woken up uncharacteristically early for either of their usual schedules, Wenjun stating that they had gone out that morning to do something, but neither of them were specific in doing what exactly they were doing. The second was Wenjun had been a bit more quiet than usual, taking Zhengting to some bar further down the boardwalk and glaring at nearly everyone who got close, but not saying a word to the magicant.</p>
<p>As their breakfast came out, Zhengting hunched over the table and spoke in a low voice. “Is there something I’m missing here?” All he got was a shrug as the mercenary took a sip from his drink before quietly eating his food.</p>
<p>After ordering two more meals for the others, Zhengting followed behind Wenjun as they went to pick up Wei Chu from the stables. His arms were full of the food, thrown hastily into wooden containers and shoved towards the pair. The thieves were already waiting outside the stables, looking slightly roughed up, but nothing too bad.</p>
<p>“What have you two been up to?” Zhengting chided as he handed each one a bowl, the two digging in immediately. The older couldn’t tell if it was because they truly were hungry or avoiding his question, but he didn’t press it any further. Obviously, they didn’t want to answer any time soon.</p>
<p>“Good to go?” Wenjun asked as he walked up to the rest of the group, Wei Chu in tow. Scarfing down the final bits of their food, Justin and Chengcheng nodded, followed by Zhengting. The mercenary hopped onto his horse and casually led it down the boardwalk, letting the early morning light bathe over the group.</p>
<p>“Oh, Zhengting!” Justin hopped up to the magicant, gripping onto his arm playfully, but was careful to not be too strong. “Be sure to look around extra carefully when we leave! Chengcheng and I made a surprise for you!”</p>
<p>Chengcheng took up the magicant’s other side, a grin on his face as he nodded. “We got up extra early to do it!”</p>
<p>Zhengting’s brows furrowed in confusion as they made their way out of the small cliff side beach area and back towards the main road. At first, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, just the same beach and cliff that had been surrounding them this whole time. It wasn’t until they began to go up the hill did he notice it. By one of the cliffs around them, a man was stuck on a particularly short ledge, his shirt held up by an arrow that was stuck in the wall and what looked to be a large bandage on the side of his head. Squinting and looking forward, Zhengting realized just who it was as the thieves on either side of him broke out into laughter.</p>
<p>On the cliff was Zitao, looking absolutely terrified and beaten to a pulp. Even Wenjun couldn’t hold back a smirk as Zhengting looked up at him, eyes going wide.</p>
<p>“He had what was coming to him,” was all the mercenary said as they walked back onto the open roads.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, my life has been going back and forth and I've finally settled down for the summer! I do have a full time internship going forward, so my posts won't be all too frequent. I will try to do my best to keep it going, thought it may slow down. Thank you so much for your understanding and I hope you can continue to enjoy this story with me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Deserted Distance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The path to the next city took several days’ worth of travel, fighting, and endurance. Starting from their final rest in the inn by the beach, the group found themselves camping in a forest that was slowly withering away. The hardy dirt path had been giving way to a looser, sandier base that left their tracks behind far more easily. It also stood to mention it was growing significantly warmer, most of the travelers they were now passing wearing clothes that seemed light and airy instead of the thicker armor they were wearing.</p>
<p>“You know, we better reach a new place soon,” Justin grumbled, taking off one boot and letting the sand fall out of it for a while. “Otherwise I can’t tell if this heat or sand is going to do me in first.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng groaned in agreement as he took up residence on Wei Chu’s back and fanned himself with one hand. “Can we go back to the beach? It was cooler there…”</p>
<p>Even Wenjun, who typically seemed unphased by the weather, had taken off most of his armor and was walking in his simple under clothes. “Chengcheng, I want you to think of everything we’ve already walked through.”</p>
<p>“Okay?”</p>
<p>“Did you enjoy it?”</p>
<p>“Hell no!”</p>
<p>“Okay, so what you’re telling me is that you <em>would</em> enjoy it if you had to go back through it a second time?”</p>
<p>Chengcheng meant to respond again, but after getting Wenjun’s point, he simply plopped his head back down on Wei Chu’s neck and groaned again. “Wenjun, even your damn horse is sweating!”</p>
<p>Zhengting had been hanging out at the back of the group, trying to not let the heat get to them. Several times already, monsters had jumped them, the others often too fatigued by the heat to fight at their usual capacity. This meant that Zhengting had begun to use his magic to fight more often, leaving him tired and sleepy throughout the day. He never realized how much magic took out of him until he began to use it on a near daily basis.</p>
<p>Even at night, when the temperatures went from scalding to a blistering chill, he always did his best to try to keep the others warm around a fire. As it turns out, even the outskirts of deserts were far more brutal than he ever had imagined. They were told by other travelers that between the last rest stop before the desert began, which was where they seemed to be at, and the next large city, there would be a small oasis town, but they had to rough it out until then. Somehow, it felt like they wouldn’t even be able to make it to the oasis.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright?” Wenjun had slowed down to walk alongside the magicant, looking concerned. Despite the usual banter between them all, Zhengting had been oddly silent since they left the beach. After being caught by Wenjun after his late night fling and the two thieves going out of their way to make Tao pay, Zhengting felt a weight heavy in his chest. Like they had been the ones to take responsibility for his mistake and it wasn’t sitting quite right with him.</p>
<p>Still, the shorter one smiled and patted Wenjun on the back, trying his best to infuse a bit of cool ice with the hand movement. “Yep, I’m fine. Just a bit tired out from this heat.”</p>
<p>“If you need us to stop, let me know,” Wenjun frowned and moved Zhengting’s hand off of himself. If the magicant was tired, there was no need to make him push himself by cooling Wenjun down.</p>
<p>“The longer we break, the longer it takes to get there!” Zhengting said as he strode ahead of Wenjun and caught up with the thieves and Wei Chu, passing off some remark to Justin before dumping some magically appearing water onto Chengcheng. Wenjun lingered back for a moment, watching the three play but felt a small pang of worry in his chest for all of them.</p>
<p>Several hours of sandy dunes later, there was an image on the horizon. It seemed like the sand had become blocky and squared off at first, but the closer they got, to more building-like it became. Several trees seemed to liter around the area as well, giving some promise of water.</p>
<p>“Guys, guys I think that’s it!” Chengcheng said, walking a little ways ahead of everyone. After some time, Zhengting had been practically forced into Wei Chu after he kept lagging behind. At first, the magicant had protested, but when Wenjun has practically lifted him up and onto the horse, his protests fell silent.</p>
<p>“The city?” Justin looked unamused as he squinted to get a better view. “Pretty shitty city if you ask me.”</p>
<p>“That’s because it’s not a city, it’s a pit stop,” Chengcheng said with a roll of his eyes. “Nothing that tiny would be considered a city.”</p>
<p>“It’s someplace to rest for the night. Better we sleep there before we keep going,” Zhengting said as he hopped off Wei Chu and stumbled slightly. Wenjun, who happened to be nearby, went over to support him. With rising alarm, the mercenary realized how much warmer Zhengting seemed compared to the rest of them. In fact, he nearly passed out in Wenjun’s arms, soft brown eyes fluttering shut for a moment before they opened wide once more. When opened, they were looking at the sudden closeness of Wenjun’s face and the magicant quickly darted away with a deepening red blush on his own face. The world seemed to wave for a moment before Zhengting found his composure and began to walk slightly unsteadily next to Wei Chu.</p>
<p>From in front of them, the thieves watched the two before exchanging their own glance and continuing onwards.</p>
<p>“Should we get them their own room tonight?”</p>
<p>“Totally.”</p>
<p>Once they finally reached the oasis pit stop, they found the area eerily empty. There were only a small cluster of buildings around the pool of water. The people who were there scurried between each one, trying to stay out of the hot sun that was starting to set further down in the sky.</p>
<p>“Finally, a real bed,” Chengcheng said with a groan, eyes falling immediately on the largest building. “I hope they don’t cost too much.”</p>
<p>Justin bumped into his partner’s shoulder, letting out a small huff. “That’s just because you’re stingy!”</p>
<p>“Chengcheng’s right though,” Zhengting said softly, face still red with a blush. He seemed to almost be in pain as he spoke and didn’t make direct eye contact with either thief. “It’d be best if we didn’t have to share beds tonight.”</p>
<p>“Are you-” Justin leaned in to check on Zhengting, but the older merely brushed the blond away before heading towards the inn. Nervously, Justin followed behind him, leaving Chengcheng and Wenjun alone in the heat.</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t you go after them?” Chengcheng glanced towards Wenjun and nudged him slightly. The mercenary had been staring after the other two, watching as Justin was helping Zhengting through the front door of the inn after the older had nearly collapsed into the sand. His eyes narrowed as Zhengting and Justin disappeared behind the curtain.</p>
<p>“If he doesn’t want me to help, I won’t,” Wenjun said before turning towards the stable that was attached to the inn to allow Wei Chu to rest for the night. The older thief merely shrugged and followed behind silently, trying to watch for any more reactions out of Wenjun. The mercenary seemed good at hiding whatever he was feeling, his face continuing to be as stoic as ever as he checked in Wei Chu and headed into the inn.</p>
<p>Inside, Justin and Zhengting were nowhere to be seen. When asking the innkeeper, it seemed to be that Zhengting had nearly vomited when he sat down and they were immediately sent into one of their rooms to let him recover. The innkeeper slid the other two their key and went on to say their room was next to Zhengting and Justin’s room.</p>
<p>It was at this point Chengcheng noticed a crack in Wenjun’s expression. His stoic mask had become overwhelmed with a moment of worry and panic, but was soon set back to normal. The comment about Zhengting had set it off for sure, but the mercenary tried to act like he wasn’t worried. The fact that Wenjun was worried had nearly been completely confirmed when the mercenary almost ran to Zhengting’s room and knocked on the door. Chengcheng followed behind at a slower pace, hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit that had the arms tied around his waist.</p>
<p>Justin was the one who opened the door, looking surprisingly upset. He opened just enough for one eye to see through, which evidently was not enough for Wenjun. The taller tried to pry the door open once Justin opened it, but was unsuccessful as it soon just slammed in Wenjun’s face instead of opening any further.</p>
<p>“Justin, let us in,” Wenjun demanded, glaring at the door as if the younger boy could see it.</p>
<p>“No!” Justin opened the door slightly again, but it was just so his words were clear to the other two. “I’m not letting you in until you find a way to sort out whatever you have going on with Zhengting! He’s got heat stroke and has to rest for a few days before we can travel again anyway, otherwise he’ll relapse. Go think about your situation until you can figure something out! And you can help him, Chengcheng!” With that the door was closed in Wenjun’s face once more, this time with the sound of a resolute click that meant the door’s knob was locked and they really weren’t allowed in.</p>
<p>Chengcheng, who held the key to their room, went ahead and opened their door, glancing back at Wenjun. “You coming?”</p>
<p>Wenjun stared at the door that was slammed in his face for a moment before following behind Chengcheng. He seemed stunned as he sat down on the free bed, the thief watching him with an amused look on his face. Chengcheng didn’t exactly know what he was helping the older with, but just seeing Wenjun look so out of character was a reward in itself.</p>
<p>“So, something going on between you and Zhengting?” Chengcheng slid his goggles up his forehead, pushing back his bangs with them. Wenjun’s lips formed a tight line as the thief awaited a response.</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng couldn’t help the amused grin on his face as he watched Wenjun squirm slightly. “Are you sure? You guys look like you’ve been in the middle of something for a while now.”</p>
<p>Wenjun opened his mouth to reply, but then firmly snapped it shut. “I don’t have to justify anything to anyone. If anyone needs this kind of intervention, it’s Zhengting.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng held his hands up in front of himself. “Hey, I was just trying to do what Justin asked of me. If it’s Zhengting's fault, then I can’t do anything else to help.”</p>
<p>Wenjun just nodded his head in agreement. “Thank you for understanding.”</p>
<p>“So, like, you do have a crush on him, right?”</p>
<p>“Will you drop it!?” Wenjun hissed, a pink tint littering his cheeks. Chengcheng only burst into laughter, falling back onto his bed. The mercenary greatly wanted to drive his glaive through the other’s head, but he knew that the other two would probably make sure he would be the next one seeing the light if he did so.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, I’ll drop it,” Chengcheng didn’t hold back the devilish grin that came across his face. “Maybe.”</p>
<p>With a groan, Wenjun got up and pulled his glaive behind him. Without saying anything else, Chengcheng was behind the mercenary in a second, pulling the goggles down his face and back over his eyes. Chengcheng watched as the mercenary held a quiet conversation with the innkeeper, nodding a few times before going back over to Chengcheng.</p>
<p>“There’s a general store here where we should be able to get clothes that are better suited for the desert. After that, I think we should see if there are any poaches up.” The two made their way back out to the oasis, noting a few more people were now walking around outside. It was the most bearable time of day where the sun was setting just enough so it wouldn’t be beating down directly, but hadn’t given away to chilly darkness just yet.</p>
<p>“Poaches? What are those?” Chengcheng looked around at the various people who were now walking around, sorely wishing Justin was with them. A cluster of them off to the side looked like they would be good targets to take some gold from, but it would be impossible with Wenjun around. Despite being a mercenary, the man had oddly high morals.</p>
<p>“Posters people put up when they want something dead- human or monster,” Wenjun explained as they pushed past a curtain and into a new building. Inside was a large variety of goods, from weapons to clothes and even some provisions. Chengcheng immediately found himself drawn to the collection of jeweled knives that were set on a table by the cashier, lifting them up and checking them over. Meanwhile, Wenjun went over the clothes, looking over them and then to his wallet.</p>
<p>With the addition of two new members, Wenjun feared that the funds he smuggled from his group wouldn’t be enough, but it seemed to be just the contrary. The two thieves had made themselves plenty wealthy as they stole from those who were unfortunate enough to be brainwashed by Wang Yibo’s flowers and willingly gave their horde of money up to Wenjun. With the added wealth, Wenjun at one point just thought about buying a house and settling down, but that was far too dangerous and very out of the question.</p>
<p>Shaking his head, he looked over the various ensembles the store had put together for travelers, the clothes all mainly following the same patterns. They were made from some cotton material, a little on the heavier side, but still able to flow. There were multiple layers to them and many of them came with extra fabric to cover the face and head with as well. Chengcheng eventually wandered back over to Wenjun, his nose wrinkling as he looked over the choices.</p>
<p>“Is this what people usually wear? I feel like you’d be sweating your ass off in something like that,” Chengcheng lifted the sleeve of one of the cloaks up, watching it drop back down. At some point, the shopkeeper had come up behind them, most of his face covered.</p>
<p>“You’d be surprised to know these are excellent at keeping you cool,” the shopkeeper spoke softly, his smile only visible by the wrinkles around his cheeks and eyes. “You’re travelers, no?”</p>
<p>Wenjun fixed his position immediately, straightening his back and taking a step in front of Chengcheng. He put a smile onto his face, but it was clear that it was only there for business’ sake. “Yes, we do plan on traveling in the desert for a bit more, so we thought that getting something that was better for the area would help.”</p>
<p>The shopkeeper hummed as he walked around them, expression hidden. “You came with two others, did you not?”</p>
<p>“They’re currently resting,” Wenjun’s voice held a hint of hostility to it, his eyes trained on the shopkeeper.</p>
<p>“It is fine, I have enough cloth for all of you,” the shopkeeper assured, looking back up with a smile that was only visible by the crinkles that formed around his eyes. “Shall we get you fitted for something better? And perhaps something for your friends as well?”</p>
<p>“That was the idea,” the mercenary said through slightly gritted teeth. With only a few more words, the two were soon fitted into several layers of the cotton clothes and taught how to properly wrap a shemagh, the headpiece, around themselves.</p>
<p>“This is easier to move in than I expected,” Chengcheng said as he wrapped up the sleeve by his wrist. Wenjun nodded in agreement, testing out his own clothes with a quick jab forward with his glaive for practice. The belt that was around his middle kept most of the extra cloth out of the way and allowed him a freedom that wasn’t quite the same as when he was in his normal armor. Still, it was an odd feeling and he would have preferred his usual clothes, but he had to do what he had to do.</p>
<p>“And I have prepared these for your friends,” the shopkeeper offered two more sets of clothing, bowing slightly as he did so. One was an outfit that was slightly darker than Chengcheng’s pale brown clothing, relying on a type of hood for protection instead of a shemagh. The other, though, was far more different from the rest. Instead of the usual collection of tanned colored clothes, this one was made from a far lighter material that was dyed a deep shade of red. It seemed to flow even just moving from the shelf to the shopkeeper's arms, the material glittering in the soft light. Several golden accents were found along the fabric, making a beautifully intricate design.</p>
<p>“Excuse me, may I just ask what this is?” Wenjun pointed at the red fabric, confusion clear across his face. Chengcheng had lifted part of it up with one hand and glanced to the other side of the room.</p>
<p>“You have a female companion with you, do you not? The one who has taken ill?” Chengcheng burst out in laughter at the mention, realizing just seconds before it was announced what the fabric was for. Wenjun, however, did not find it quite as funny, but still couldn’t hide his own laughter behind a few coughs.</p>
<p>“W-We don’t, I assure you. He’s just someone who was very sheltered, that’s all.” Wenjun corrected. “Never been exposed to this kind of heat.”</p>
<p>The shopkeeper nodded his head, placing the clothes down and going over to collect a new set. “I see now. I shall return that one and collect new clothes for your companion.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Chengcheng looked up from the revealing shirt in his hands. “Wenjun, can we keep this?”</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, give me one good reason why we should waste money on something we don’t need?”</p>
<p>“Because I think it would be hilarious to make Justin wear this,” the thief deadpanned, sounding very serious. Wenjun stared at him for a moment, unable to make out any expression behind the shemagh and goggles, but sighed and waved a hand.</p>
<p>“Fine, get it. But you’re using your money for this.” Chengcheng immediately went towards the front with the red outfit while Wenjun was handed a new set of the cotton clothes for Zhengting. He silently thanked the shopkeeper as he followed the man to the front to pay.</p>
<p>“I’ll take forty gold pieces for your clothes,” the shopkeeper stated, Wenjun nodding in agreement as he opened the sack of coins he had taken with him.</p>
<p>“Hey, woah, aren’t you going to try and haggle or something?” Chengcheng whispered, though it was hard to not hear him. Wenjun merely rolled his eyes, sliding the money over and taking the clothes.</p>
<p>“You can do that, but for things like this, it’s too much effort,” the mercenary retorted before leaving Chengcheng in the shop alone and heading back to the inn. He walked up the stairs and up to Justin and Zhengting’s room.</p>
<p>Raising one hand to knock on the door, Wenjun paused as he heard the two talking softly. Trying his best he leaned closer to the door to try and make out what they were saying.</p>
<p>“... I might just go home.” That was Zhengting’s voice.</p>
<p>“But you can’t just leave us like that! I thought we were a group or something…” Justin’s whine could be heard soon after.</p>
<p>“Justin, it’s clear enough I probably don’t belong out here like this. Before you joined us, Wenjun even said he planned to drop me off back to my hometown. I don’t think he’s changed his idea.”</p>
<p>“You can’t say that! He came back to help us fight Yibo after all.” There was some more conversation that Wenjun couldn’t quite make out before he heard Justin’s voice again. “At least come with us to the next city? Just a little longer…”</p>
<p>Wenjun felt something pull at him, a sense of guilt perhaps. Both Justin and Zhengting sounded reluctant, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Instead of waiting to hear whatever answer Zhengting would give, the mercenary pounded on the door a few times.</p>
<p>“Justin, Zhengting? We got some clothes for you. They’re better suited to the desert than what you have on now. I’m leaving them out here, then Chengcheng and I are going to go take a poach.” Wenjun didn’t elaborate any further as he set the clothes down outside the door. He turned to see that Chengcheng was standing in the hall, silently watching the mercenary.</p>
<p>“For fuck’s sake, make some noise when you’re walking,” Wenjun muttered as he went into their own room for a moment. The thief followed in behind him, setting the pile of red clothes down on the floor next to his bed before fixing Wenjun with a glare.</p>
<p>“Like you’re any better, eavesdropping on them.” Chengcheng went over to grab his own weapons, favoring his bow over his crossbow and attaching the quiver to his side. “You can always just talk to him, you know.”</p>
<p>There was the sound of a door creaking open and closing, Justin probably taking the clothes Wenjun left behind. The mercenary gazed out the window at the darkening desert. “There’s nothing to talk about.”</p>
<p>“Have it your way,” Chengcheng said with a shrug before walking out of the room. Justin and Zhengting had fallen silent as far as Wenjun could tell, and he didn’t stick around any longer to find out. He made his way downstairs to find Chengcheng waiting for him in the lobby. It was weird to see the thief’s light brown hair poking out from the front of the shemagh, his eyes still hidden behind the goggles.</p>
<p>Without a word, they went outside and to the other side of the oasis where a signboard was posted. Another person was standing there and gave a small nod to the pair as they walked up. Wenjun glanced over them once, something about them looking familiar, but he was unable to figure out what it was exactly.</p>
<p>Turning his attention back to the signboard, he looked it over. On it were posters of various poach targets, some being humans and other monsters. Looking over the monster side, Chengcheng reached around Wenjun’s shoulder and pointed out one in particular. The bounty wasn’t particularly high, but it seemed as though the creature had been a nuisance in the direction they were going.</p>
<p>“Better clear it out before it gets to us,” Chengcheng said as he tore the poster down from the board. The man beside them tilted his head to one side as Chengcheng spoke, looking interested.</p>
<p>“Excuse me, would you mind if I joined you?” The stranger moved his own shemagh down, flashing both a dazzling smile. “I’m heading out that way tomorrow, so if you two are inclined to take it down, I’m inclined to help.”</p>
<p>Wenjun exchanged a glance with Chengcheng, who just shrugged and turned his attention towards the stranger. “How much of a cut do you want?” The mercenary asked, giving the man a once over. He was tall and slender, black hair poking out from under his shemagh. The oddest part of all was the fact he was wearing glasses, which weren’t seen all too often. He appeared to be more of the scholarly type than the fighting.</p>
<p>“Oh, no, I’m not in it for anything!” He smiled once more. “I’m not much of a fighter alone, so I felt like it would be easier to hunt it as a group, especially if it’s on the way to the city. I’m guessing you are on your way there as well?”</p>
<p>“Not immediately, but within a few days’ time.” Wenjun confirmed. “In that case, we’ll go and inform the poster that we will take this on and meet you by the entrance.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll wait there then!” The man flashed another blinding smile towards the two before walking towards the entrance to the oasis. Wenjun led the way towards the small tavern that was located there, noting it was mostly empty despite this time usually being when most people were getting themselves drunk senseless.</p>
<p>“Hello?” The mercenary said softly, gaining the barkeeper’s attention. He was waved over and presented the poach request. “We’re here to take on this poach you put up.”</p>
<p>The barkeep, an elderly gentleman who didn’t look like he belonged in the kind of harsh desert they were in smiled and nodded as he placed down a glass and hurried over. “Oh, thank you kind sirs! I’ve been waiting for someone to take this one down. It’s been a real nuisance since it appeared not too long ago. The caravans that come through from the city have been taking a longer route to avoid it and my bar is almost completely dry until the next shipment comes in.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded, taking the poach and rolling up the request and tucking it into his cloak. “No worries, we’ll take care of it.”</p>
<p>Turning on one heel, Wenjun led the way out, leaving Chengcheng to hurry behind him. Much to the taller’s surprise, the man was not the only one standing by the entrance. On the other side of the exit, Justin was standing there with Zhengting. The magicant was sitting on a box that had been stacked to the side with a cloak wrapped around himself, the one that Wenjun gave him ages ago, and was talking to the younger with a small smile on his face. At first, neither of the others even gave notice of Wenjun and Chengcheng until Zhengting stopped talking and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing them both as they approached their new friend.</p>
<p>“Glad you could make it!” The man said as Wenjun and Chengcheng approached him. The book he had been reading was shut quickly and hidden inside his cloak as Wenjun nodded at him. “Before we leave, may I ask you what to call you? I’m not much of the kind of person to be shouting ‘you’ in the middle of battle.”</p>
<p>“I’m Bevan,” Wenjun said slowly, glancing back towards Chengcheng for him to introduce himself.</p>
<p>“O-Oh, you can call me Adam?” The thief sounded a bit questioning of himself before watching Wenjun roll his eyes. At this point, they noticed the soft footsteps that approached them, Justin supporting a tired looking Zhengting.</p>
<p>“Are you guys going somewhere?” The youngest asked, narrowing his eyes at the man who was simply smiling at them. “Shouldn’t you rest?”</p>
<p>Chengcheng ruffled the blond’s hair, a smile just visible under his shemagh. “It’s fine, we’ll be back before dawn, okay? Get some rest and we’ll catch up with you later.”</p>
<p>Zhengting looked between Wenjun and Chengcheng, guilt written over his features. “I’m sorry, if it wasn’t for me we’d be able to head out sooner.”</p>
<p>With a sigh, Wenjun poked Zhengting in the forehead. Since they had parted ways earlier, the mercenary had been wearing a stern expression, but with Zhengting out of his room and at the very least on his feet once more, the taller had seemed to relax himself slightly. “It doesn’t matter if you’re better or not, we’d have to take this thing down anyway and stay for at least tonight. For now, get some rest so we don’t have to wait any longer.”</p>
<p>Zhengting put one hand up to cover where Wenjun poked him and nodded. “Be safe?”</p>
<p>Wenjun hoisted his glaive further up his back, waving as he led the way out from the oasis with Chengcheng and the stranger behind him. “No promises. See you later.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chengcheng pressures Wenjun into admitting he has a crush and fails, the chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Scourge of the Desert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just pretend I'm good at writing fight scenes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Leaving behind Zhengting and Justin, Chengcheng and Wenjun made their way out into the darkened desert. Without the faint glow of torches from the oasis, the desert had become a pitch black wasteland. The moonlight that shone down on them was just enough to make out some general landshapes and larger things, but it was difficult. The light breeze blowing sand in their faces didn’t help as well, affecting everyone except for Chengcheng. For once, he was proud of his goggles.</p>
<p>“Oh, I didn’t introduce myself, did I?” The new member of their party spoke up after a few minutes of walking in silence, the desert eerie with the lack of anything that would produce sound. “My name is Yanchen. It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you!”</p>
<p>“Likewise,” Wenjun spoke up, giving almost no chance for his younger companion to speak. Chengcheng wasn’t quite as noisy as Justin, who probably wouldn’t have shut up during the whole walk, but this overly cautious Wenjun was starting to irk him. Maybe what Justin had said was really getting to the mercenary.</p>
<p>They continued to walk in silence, the sand under them so fine it hardly made a noise. They had come across a few monsters in the wasteland, some giant insect-like creatures that went down soon enough with a stab by Wenjun’s glaive or a well placed arrow, but there wasn’t much else. That was until the road, if you could really call the distanced collection of signs that, had a new feature in it. Among the sandy waves and hills of the desert, there was a group of old pillars and walls, broken and far beyond use. Yanchen and Wenjun both began to venture towards it before Chengcheng strode in front and put one arm out to stop the two from advancing.</p>
<p>“Hold on,” the young thief spoke, crouching down. “Something’s there.”</p>
<p>Yanchen crouched down behind him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Is it our target?”</p>
<p>Chengcheng didn’t answer, but instead watched the ruins intensely. For the most part, they didn’t seem all that appealing, just some stone walls and pillars that had been buffeted by the sand enough to look worn down and on the verge of collapse. On closer inspection, it seemed as though there was something off about the way the ruins were positioned. On occasion, one of the walls would twitch in a weird way, not that walls were supposed to do that. It wasn’t often, but it was enough to notice if someone watched close enough.</p>
<p>Wenjun pulled out the poach poster and rolled it out. Squinting, they just make out the picture. On it was a simple drawing of some type of long worm creature, sporting what looked to be fairly tough outer armor and a large eye on its back. The notes on the bottom of the page said something about walls and other landmarks to note it’s position. The dark ink was difficult to read, so he rolled it back up again before speaking. “It’s here, for sure. At least, according to what’s written.”</p>
<p>Yanchen stood up and looked around, adjusting the cloak that was wrapped around his shoulders. “But it’s not here? Maybe we’ve been fooled?”</p>
<p>“No,” Chengcheng whispered. He brought out his bow and a single arrow. Taking the poster from Wenjun, the thief read it over before passing it back to the mercenary. “Read the description again. It’s not that it isn’t here...” Taking a small piece of thread off from his robe, Chengcheng tied a small rock that he had picked up earlier to the tip of his arrow. It wasn’t much, but added a bit of weight onto the simple wood and flint weapon.</p>
<p>As Chengcheng drew his bow back, arrow notched in place, Wenjun read over the poser again, this time trying to make out the dark words. “Wanted, desert death worm. Found by the ruins on the way to the cavern city, typically most active at night and during dawn and dusk hours. Not found until too late, never seen above ground.” Putting the poster down, Wenjun’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you getting at?”</p>
<p>“This means, Bevan, that it is located…” Chengcheng shot the arrow towards the ruins. It went up in a large arching motion before coming down not too far away from the cluster of buildings. “Under the sand.”</p>
<p>As the arrow touched down on the ground, the sand around it began to tremble. It wasn’t long before the ground beneath their feet seemed to shake uncontrollably, given how loose their footing was in the first place. With a display of sandy grandeur, the sand parted to reveal a large creature springing forth from the stand. The arrow was soon lost to the creature’s giant maw before it plunged back down into the sand with a terrifying speed. Without much more movement, the sand had gone back to normal as if that had never happened.</p>
<p>Wenjun and Yanchen stared at the creature with large eyes, not expecting the giant worm to have appeared that easily. Chengcheng let out a low whistle, adjusting the covering over his face. They hadn’t expected something like that to emerge from the ground, never mind devising a plan to fight it.They exchanged glances before Yanchen collapsed onto the sand, running one hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“I didn’t expect to be fighting something like this… I didn’t even realize it would be that big!” He said as he adjusted his glasses. “Maybe we should give up now?”</p>
<p>“But if we give this up, nothing is going to be able to get between here and the oasis,” Wenjun pointed out. “Perhaps if we come back in the morning, it would be easier to fight? If it’s active at night, it must rest during the day.”</p>
<p>“Which would make sense, as most of the caravans travel at night to avoid the heat,” Yanchen agreed with a nod. “They probably take a break here by the ruins and then end up getting eaten.”</p>
<p>Wenjun shuddered at the idea of being eaten alive by the monster, the sharp rows of teeth that glinted in the moonlight still fresh in his mind. The idea of fighting it felt even worse the more thought the mercenary put into it. Chengcheng had been resourceful at best, his arrow giving them a better idea of what they were going up against, but he knew that the archer would be almost worthless against something as well armored as the death worm. Not to mention, he didn’t even know that this stranger, Yanchen, was capable of. He didn’t have any visible weapons on his person, so how else would he fight?</p>
<p>“Alright, maybe we should head back for now and give it more thought for tomorrow,” Wenjun said. He brushed a bit of sand off himself before he began to head back the way they came. Taking two steps forward, there was a tug on the sleeve of his outer robe. Chengcheng was staring off towards the horizon, eyes fixed on something.</p>
<p>“I don’t think we’re alone out here,” Chengcheng said. He took a few tentative steps forward before shaking his head. “I think I see someone, but they’re headed right for the ruins.”</p>
<p>“Just one person? Or a group?” Yanchen asked as he squinted his eyes and looked in the general direction that Chengcheng was facing.</p>
<p>“It looks like just one guy from here,” the younger confirmed, his tone dropping. “He really is going right towards the ruins.”</p>
<p>“What!?” Wenjun whipped around to see the outline of someone riding something across the desert, heading right for the ruins. Similarly to when the arrow landed, the sand began to shudder and move, heading in the direction of the person who was rapidly heading down one of the dunes. “That’s suicide.”</p>
<p>Oddly enough, the first person to act was Yanchen, who began to rush down towards the low lying ruins. He gave no regards to his new partners as he crouched low to the ground and slid down the side of the dune. The monster was now accelerating towards the newcomer, not even breaking to turn towards the man who was now running on foot towards it.</p>
<p>“Where are you going!?” Wenjun called, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He wasn’t new to people fighting monsters or dying from it, but it had been a while since he’d seen anything as strong at the death worm. Without proper planning, it was most likely going to be complete destruction.</p>
<p>“To help! I don’t know about you, but I’m not gonna let whoever this is just fight it on his own!” Yanchen shouted back before getting onto his feet and rushing onto the sand towards the newcomer. It seemed that he was on a horse, riding down the side of the dune right towards the monster. There was no way Yanchen would reach him before the death worm.</p>
<p>Chengcheng must have had the same idea, as soon enough he was following Yanchen down the dune as well. Instead of heading towards the worm, though, he was going towards the ruins. “Yeah Wenjun, we can’t just leave someone like that!” Chengcheng shouted before he slid down the side of the dune.</p>
<p>Watching now both of his teammates go off toward the creature, Wenjun knew he had no choice other than to help them. Muttering under his breath, he took off after Chengcheng, following the thief’s path down the dune and towards the ruins. He may not be able to save Yanchen or the newcomer, but at the very least he would be there to keep Chengcheng safe.</p>
<p>In the distance, the death worm had emerged from the sand and became a soaring arch in the sky. With a shout of warning from Yanchen, the newcomer managed to divert himself and his horse, taking a sharp turn towards the higher side of the dune. The worm burrowed it’s way back down into the sand, it’s tail tip flicking in the sand as it began to rumble once more. This time, it was headed towards Yanchen, who was far slower on foot compared to the horse.</p>
<p>“Yanchen, it’s headed your way!” Chengcheng shouted as he reached one of the walls of the ruins. Wenjun looked over to see Yanchen come to a stop for a second, looking in the direction of the large amount of sand that was coming up towards him. However, the dark haired man didn’t seem all too worried, taking something long out from his cloak and moving into a battle stance.</p>
<p>The death worm was still a fair distance away as it began to slow before disappearing completely. Wenjun had reached Chengcheng once more and stood panting at the base of the ruins. “Where did it go?”</p>
<p>Yanchen moved into a standing position, only to watch the mass of sand that seemed to be going towards him turn around. The newcomer, who was still a decent way across the expanse of sand, was charging back towards the ruins. The death worm began to make its way towards him once more as Yanchen seemed to be forgotten about at the moment.</p>
<p>“Yanchen! Get over here!” Chengcheng shouted as he pulled out a new arrow and began to try to line up a shot on the monster from the top of the wall. The newcomer had come into view now as he stood on his horse’s back and was getting closer and closer to the ruins.</p>
<p>He was dressed like everyone else they had come across in this wasteland, covered in fabrics and covering on his face. On his back was a large sword, seeming almost larger than the man himself. The horse below him, however, seemed to have no issue with running while carrying both the man and his weapon. As the death worm got closer, nearly right on the newcomer, he leapt off the horse and drew his sword out. With a magnificent display of strength, he dove downwards to where the death worm would be.</p>
<p>It didn’t all seem to go as the newcomer planned. Now, instead of being on his horse, he was riding the death worm with his sword. The blade had pieced it, but the worm didn’t seem to mind as it continued to chase after the horse. The man was helplessly hanging onto his weapon as he rode, looking pathetic in comparison to his early display. He seemed to be holding his ground enough, the sand must have made it difficult to stand as he slipped when the beast turn, losing his footing and continuing to just hang on with one arm.</p>
<p>“Help me!” The wail carried over to the ruins where Yanchen had joined Wenjun and Chengcheng. The three watched this happen for a moment, completely baffled by the whole situation. What exactly was there to do?</p>
<p>“Is there any way we can get it to come over here?” Yanchen asked as he came to stand next to Wenjun. “I don’t think that guy can hang on for much longer.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it’s gonna stop chasing after that horse until one of them dies,” Chengcheng said with a snort. “It looks like it goes after anything that hits the ground. Probably why it decided to go after that dumbass and his horse instead of you earlier.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded, straightening up. “Then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” he said. Drawing out his glaive, Wenjun stepped right outside the ruins, watching the worm continue to chase the horse. The poor steed had begun to tire and slow, which allowed the death worm to creep ever closer. “We just need to be enough.”</p>
<p>“Wenjun, that makes no sense,” Chengcheng said as he hopped off the wall and back onto the sand. If for just a moment, the monster seemed to pause. It turned towards the ruins for just a moment before focusing on the horse once more.</p>
<p>“No, wait I get it,” Yanchen said as he climbed up the wall Chengcheng had just jumped from. He did the same motion, landing on the sand and this time taking a few steps forward. Once more, the creature diverted its attention towards the trio by the ruins before heading back towards the horse. “You see? It’s based on vibrations. We made a vibration a bit more noticeable than the horse, so it came towards us.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded before climbing up the wall himself. He wasn’t adept at it as the other two, but once on top, he motioned for both to join him. “If we want to draw it’s attention, we’re going to have to be more than one person. We each jump one at a time, it could be just enough to bring it over here.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure this will work?” Yanchen asked as he continued to watch the wailing person be dragged against the current of the sand.</p>
<p>“If it doesn’t, then I’m out of ideas,” Wenjun replied with a grimace. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the two on either side of him before nodding. Motioning several times with his hand, the mercenary let out a shout as they jumped off the wall and landed onto the sand. It wasn’t as graceful as Wenjun had intended, especially considering he ended up rolling more than landing on his feet, but it did the trick. For just a moment, the creature in the sand seemed distracted and headed back towards the ruins. In this brief period of time, the horse it was previously chasing ran over the dune and into the distance. Its owner was now left by himself.</p>
<p>“Back up!” Wenjun called as they all scrambled to climb back up the ruin wall. Their fleeing footsteps were enough to catch the attention of the worm for a moment before it could no longer sense them. It slowed to a stop just beyond the wall, as evident by the newcomer coming to a stand still in the sand. If the other three hadn’t known better, they would have thought he was just standing there. Any kind of vibration from him would surely be his demise.</p>
<p>“Don’t move!” Yanchen shouted. The newcomer looked up, startled, before nodding. “We’ll find out a way to kill it!”</p>
<p>Wenjun tapped his chin in thought, trying to figure out some way to slay the beast. It seemed as though it’s armor wasn’t as impenetrable as they thought, as evidenced by the sword that was currently stuck in it. It reacted to vibrations in the sand and nothing else and if something were to stop moving, it wouldn’t be able to detect it any more. Not to mention, when it wasn’t actively going after anything, it just seemed to exist in the sand, not moving or going anywhere.</p>
<p>Chengcheng had begun to slowly walk along the ruin wall, leaving Wenjun to think on his own. The monster didn’t seem to react to him walking along the stone, which was also convenient. Making his way down the crumbling wall, Chengcheng leapt from their wall to another, nearly falling over as he landed. Still, years of experience from jumping to buildings and thievery made him nimble enough to walk down the new wall and towards the broken tower. It seemed to have stairs on it at one point, but they had mostly crumbled away. At the top there seemed to be a small spot where he could stand and get a better view of the situation.</p>
<p>Scurrying up the side of it, the thief found himself comfortably standing atop the tower. Chengcheng found himself looking out at the desert that surrounded them. If they weren’t in a near life-or-death situation, he would have found the view beautiful and breathtaking. Staring out at the starry sky above them, Chengcheng nodded and promised himself that he would show Justin this same view no matter what. They had to live through this.</p>
<p>Somewhere below him, the thief noticed Wenjun talking with Yanchen, the newest member of their party bringing out some sort of staff weapon again. Chengcheng watched with interest for a moment before looking back towards where the other hunter was perched on the monster’s back. Somewhere in front of the hunter would be the creature’s eye, which was far more vulnerable to attacks than any part of its armored self. That was when an idea began to form in his head.</p>
<p>Looking around, Chengcheng went to the edge of the tower, leaning over it slightly. “Hey, you, Mister Dumbass!”</p>
<p>“What? Me? Hey, my name isn’t-”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, don’t care. Quick question for you if you want to find some way out of this alive. Do you know how close you are to that thing’s eye?”</p>
<p>The hunter looked up at Chengcheng with a dumbfounded expression on his face before shaking his head. “I-I didn’t notice when I landed. Why?”</p>
<p>Chengcheng clicked his tongue and drew one arrow. He could hear Wenjun shout something towards him, but it was completely ignored. Taking where the hunter was as a starting point, Chengcheng moved his aim partway down the beast, trying to recall just where the eye was. He had limited ammunition, so he had to make it count.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng! Get down from there!” He heard Wenjun’s voice, which sounded slightly louder now, call from somewhere behind him. The thief took no heed as he fixed his aim on where the eye might be and released the arrow.</p>
<p>It flew through the air and, surprisingly, hit its intended target. There was some kind of strangled screech as the death worm became active once more. Now with the hunter still attached to it’s back, it wiggled partially out of the sand and began to thrash about erratically. The hunter was thrown off and landed in the sand some ways away, but wasn’t even thought of. The monster continued to thrash and screech, its cries filling the air.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it was too late for Chengcheng to see the error of his ways. As the monster had begun to writhe in agony, it came closer towards the ruins. The creature was by no means small, so when it’s armored tail had whipped around and crashed into the ruins, the ground beneath Chengcheng’s feet had disappeared.</p>
<p>The archer had tried to scramble away from the falling debris, but his attempt proved to be futile. Alongside the stones that made up the tower, he found himself falling down onto the sandy ground. The air seemed to burst out of his lungs as he crashed onto the ground, rolling a bit before coming to a stop. There were a few bricks of stone under him that did little to cushion his fall. Instead, Chengcheng could feel a distinct pain in his side that made every breath difficult and painful. He tried to get to his feet to get back to the ruins, but the dots that lined his vision made it hard to walk.</p>
<p>He thought he heard his name being called as he dragged himself towards where blurry outlines of Yanchen and Wenjun were, but couldn’t quite tell. Instead, his mind was filled with what would happen next, if they did fail and he ended up dying. The thought of never seeing Justin again made his heart ache far more than his chest at that moment. He knew they had to do something.</p>
<p>Back on the wall, Wenjun watched in horror as Chengcheng’s body fell from the top of the tower and rolled onto the sand. The archer managed to pull himself up, but Wenjun knew that wasn’t enough. The monster was out for revenge. Though it was slower than before, the monster had begun to wiggle it’s way towards Chengcheng. Its mouth was open and ready to devour the only moving thing on the sand.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng! Chengcheng stop!” Wenjun’s voice ripped out of him as loud as he possibly could as he watched Chengcheng drag himself through the sand. A little ways away, he could see the hunter was saying something as well, but didn’t care to listen. “Chengcheng!”</p>
<p>The boy’s bruised and battered outline was just visible as the death worm had reared up and prepared to come down on him. His head was raised questioningly before Wenjun watched the worm descend upon Chengcheng. The mercenary’s feet were rooted to the ground in fear as he watched the worm get closer and closer, his blood running cold.</p>
<p>Then, Chengcheng was suddenly no longer in the way of the death worm. What Wenjun had failed to see was Yanchen sprinting across the sand and pushing Chengcheng out of the way instead. The archer was suddenly rolling across the sand towards the hunter and Yanchen was soon gone within the monster.</p>
<p>Once again, the monster was back onto the ground instead of burrowing under the sand, trying to wiggle it’s way towards where Chengcheng and the hunter were now crouching down. Wenjun knew he wouldn't let anything else happen to anyone else. Yanchen’s sacrifice was enough.</p>
<p>Drawing his glaive out, Wenjun used it to vault himself off the wall and onto the sand where he chased after the monster. It sensed him and turned towards the mercenary with a disgusting screech. Its mouth was filled with whatever drool it produced and seemed to be wiggling with little intention. Wenjun didn’t care as he ran forward and used his glaive once more to push himself out of the way of the death worm’s feeble attack. Now beside the creature, Wenjun took his weapon and jammed it into its side between the armored plates, causing it to let out another screech.</p>
<p>Not done just yet, the mercenary pulled his glaive out and began to land blow after blow to the area, the creature wailing in pain as it tried to escape. Each hit was driven by the anger of watching Yanchen disappear and Chengcheng injuring himself. He was going to fell this beast once and for all. It was slowing down even more now, the whole thing eventually coming to a stop as it wailed into the night. From the other side, the hunter must have climbed back on top of the death worm. Wenjun could just make out the other man’s figure as he withdrew his sword from the monster’s back.</p>
<p>With astonishing speed for handling a weapon so large, the hunter had taken his greatsword and smashed down onto the worm’s eye. Chengcheng’s arrow had broken off, but the tip was still lodged in there and was only going deeper and deeper into the creature as the hunter smashed his sword into it. Wenjun took this as a chance to run around the monster and check on Chengcheng.</p>
<p>The archer seemed to be just fine at the moment, though a little out of it. He was slumped on the ground with his shemagh undone and goggles tilted on his face. If anything, he looked more shocked than hurt. He looked up at Wenjun with owlish eyes, blinking a few times.</p>
<p>“I just nearly died, didn’t I?”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded. Chengcheng just turned his attention back to the dying monster and said nothing else. He watched as the hunter dealt the final blow, sending his sword deep into the creature’s eye. He was covered in blood and panted slightly, but when he drew his sword out, he seemed satisfied. With one last dying wail, the death worm twitched once or twice before falling completely still, not even drawing a breath.</p>
<p>Wordlessly, the hunter wiped some of the blood off his face and leapt off the creature. He nodded towards Wenjun and Chengcheng as he approached them. On closer inspection, the hunter turned out to be shorter than Wenjun had anticipated, his height rivaling that of his sword. He had a piece of decorative fabric tied around his forehead, holding back his bangs to reveal a fairly youthful face. When he smiled, his dimples were on full display.</p>
<p>“I’d like to really thank you guys for helping me out back there! Without you, who knows what would have happened!” His face darkened for a moment as he looked back at the monster. “I’m sorry about your friend though…”</p>
<p>Wenjun dipped his head down. “We hadn’t known him for too long, but he was a good companion. Shame he had to go the way he did.”</p>
<p>“Why are you all talking about me like I’m dead?” A voice rang out from inside the monster, surprising the three who were standing there. Covered in whatever bodily fluids he had encountered, Yanchen popped out the death worm’s mouth like it was nothing, even his dazzling smile not changing in the slightest. “Have you really so little faith in me?”</p>
<p>“Yanchen!” Wenjun perked up to see the man walking out of the death worm with his staff in hand, shaking off some of the slime that was covering him. “You’re alright?”</p>
<p>“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say alright,” he walked up to the group and tried to get some more of the slime off himself. He took one sniff and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “But I’m alive, that’s for sure.”</p>
<p>“But, you got eaten,” the hunter said, his eyes wide. “How are you okay?”</p>
<p>Yanchen smirked as he leaned against his staff in the sand. “Well, no one said I was actually eaten. I just took a trip down a bit of its esophagus.” Yanchen then pulled something small out of his cloak, smiling at the confusion on the others’ faces. “And it turns out, my needles work perfectly well on the inside.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you must have had some sort of paralysis effect on it then,” the hunter said with a snap of his fingers. “That’s why it stopped moving.”</p>
<p>Yanchen winked at the hunter, causing the latter’s cheeks to sport a red tint in the early dawn light. “Exactly! You’re smarter than you act.”</p>
<p>“Thank you- wait, what does that mean!?” The hunter fumed for a moment, but the attention towards him was soon lost.</p>
<p>Yanchen had begun to walk back over to the ruins, picking up a bag he left behind. Wordlesslessly, he plucked a few items out of it before returning to the rest of the group. He handed two things to Wenjun, both of them in labeled jars. “I should have introduced myself better earlier. My name is Zhou Yanchen, I’m a traveling doctor. I’m headed to the cavern city to help a friend there, but due to this monstrosity,” he motioned towards the slowly disappearing death worm, “I haven’t been able to make my way over. Now, thanks to you all, I can finally meet them.</p>
<p>“In those jars are some medications I whipped up. One should be able to help…” He paused and glanced at the archer. “Adam with his injuries. It’s an elixir that should speed up the rate of recovery. The other should be able to help your other friend back at the oasis. He suffers from heat stroke, pardon my eavesdropping, so this should help him recover. Think of it as my thank you for helping me defeat this.”</p>
<p>Wenjun looked at the jars in his hands and back at Yanchen, a smile breaking his usually stern expression. “Thank you. We should be headed that way soon enough, so if we see you there, I’ll be sure to treat you to something. You helped us just as much as we helped you.”</p>
<p>“That sounds great!” Yanchen said with a confident nod. The hunter was quick to take up a position by Yanchen’s side while Wenjun helped Chengcheng back onto his feet. He completely disregarded the other two as he spoke to Yanchen.</p>
<p>“If you’re headed that way now, I’m heading back to the city to report this. Perhaps I could escort you there?”</p>
<p>Yanchen tilted his head and smiled, ruffling the hunter’s hair. “As long as you don’t go headfirst into danger anymore, okay?”</p>
<p>The hunter hurriedly batted Yanchen’s hand away before following the doctor towards the ruins to collect some plants that were growing through the cracks amid the desert’s heat. While Wenjun had begun to help Chengcheng drink the potion, the hunter turned towards them and bowed slightly. “And thank you two as well! If not for your actions, I surely would have died today! Come by to visit me once you get into the city, I’m sure that’d be a much easier place to exchange pleasantries!”</p>
<p>Wenjun left Chengcheng to finish off the medicine, the younger making a nasty face once he finished. “Not a problem. And dare I say without you as well, we would have not had figured out some vital information. Thank you.”</p>
<p>With that, Yanchen and the hunter began to head back over to one side of the dune, the sound of a jovial conversation following them. The sun had risen in the sky once more, scorching each duo as they went their separate ways.</p>
<p>By the time Wenjun and Chengcheng made it back to the oasis, the two were practically asleep on their feet. Yanchen’s medication had helped Chengcheng mask some of the pain, but took away none of their drowsiness. Once the trees and blocky buildings came back into sight, Wenjun could have sworn he was about to collapse instead of making it the rest of the way there.</p>
<p>Arriving at the entrance, Wenjun was met with something far more terrifying than his fatigue: A very sick and very angry Zhengting. The magicant was waiting by the entrance with a blanket around his shoulders and Justin hovering nearby. His face was tinged red and the younger boy seemed to be trying to move him, but Zhengting stubbornly stayed in place.</p>
<p>When Wenjun and Chengcheng were finally noticed, Wenjun felt his heart break as he watched Zhengting stand up and nearly fall onto the sand. Justin had caught him, but was pushed away as Zhengting made his way over to Wenjun.</p>
<p>“You said you’d be back by dawn! Look how high the sun is in the sky!” Zhengting shouted, his cheeks a deep red color. Wenjun went over to the magicant to support him, alarmed by how warm his body was. Zhengting was running what felt to be a very high fever and shouldn’t have been out there. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”</p>
<p>After his initial outburst, Zhengting seemed to calm down and lean into Wenjun’s embrace. His pulse was rapid under his warm skin, the mercenary’s hand resting on the side of Zhengting’s neck. “We’re back now, please get some rest,” Wenjun murmured as he lifted up Zhengting. The magicant practically fell asleep in Wenjun’s arms, head lolling into the taller’s chest. Glancing up, Wenjun was met with Justin’s nasty stare.</p>
<p>“We’ll handle whatever bounty you guy’s get, go bring Zhengting back to the room,” was all the blond said as he slid forward to take the poster out of Wenjun’s belt and put the room key in its place. Grabbing Chengcheng’s hand, Justin led the way over to the tavern and spoke to the other boy in a harsh tone, the worry clearly evident.</p>
<p>Wenjun watched for a moment before Zhengting shifted in his arms and let out a low groan. Worried, Wenjun adjusted his grip before heading into the small inn once more. He ignored the curious stare of the innkeeper as he headed upstairs. It wasn’t easy, though, as Zhengting kept convulsing, hands gripping and letting go of Wenjun’s clothes. Once outside of the room, the mercenary set Zhengting down, who immediately flipped over and tried to get rid of anything that was in his stomach. Wenjun watched as the sounds of retching filled the air, but nothing came out. Was Zhengting waiting for them while he was this sick? Justin’s anger became very understandable in that moment.</p>
<p>Taking the jar that Yanchen gave him out of his pocket, Wenjun supported Zhengting as he gently pushed the magicant so he was sitting against the door. His body still shook with the after affects from puking, his cheeks seeming to go a shade redder. He shook the blue liquid once before popping the cork off. At first, he lifted the bottle to Zhengting’s lips in hopes he would just drink the liquid himself, but the magicant pushed the bottle away with a small groan. He curled up into himself and covered his mouth as a way to avoid taking what was in the bottle.</p>
<p>Shaking his head, Wenjun waited for the magicant to remove his hand before pressing Zhengting firmly against the door. The magicant seemed dazed and lost, his eyes not focusing on anything in particular. Once again, Wenjun offered the liquid up to Zhengting’s lips. At first, the magicant didn’t even seem to notice it was there before weak hands went up and began to hold the sides of the jar as he feebly drank from it. Wenjun moved to sit next to Zhengting and gently rubbed his back as the jar was slowly emptied.</p>
<p>Once he finished, Zhengting glanced towards Wenjun. His face was still red and flushed, but he seemed more aware than before. His eyes were able to focus on Wenjun as he reached one warm hand out to cup the mercenary’s cheek. “Y-You’re really Wenjun, right?”</p>
<p>Wenjun couldn’t help but smile back and lightly grip the hand that was on his cheek. “I am.”</p>
<p>“And you came back? Alive?” He whispered, a smile growing as Wenjun nodded. Zhengting launched himself into Wenjun’s arms and buried his face in the taller’s neck. “I was so worried about you. Thank you for coming back.”</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t know what to do for a moment, his arms in an awkward hover around Zhengting. When the smaller man didn’t seem to be moving from his position, Wenjun sighed and hugged back. At first, the mercenary thought the warmth that filled him was from himself, his current emotions a muddled mess, until he realized it was coming from Zhengting. His face was still red and his fever still seemed pretty high. With a shake of his head, Wenjun grabbed the room key and unlocked the door to Zhengting and Justin’s room. No longer having the door for support, Zhengting immediately flopped towards the floor and successfully brought Wenjun down with him.</p>
<p>The taller man was soon supporting himself over Zhengting, the shorter man splayed out on the ground with a dazed and flushed face below him. Something about the expression hit Wenjun the wrong way and he scrambled back out into the hallway. There, he looked down the hall to find Justin and Chengcheng staring at him, both of the thieves wearing unreadable expressions. There was a moment of tense eye contact before Chengcheng moved to unlock his and Wenjun’s room. The older thief ushered Justin inside before giving Wenjun a pointed look and shutting the door.</p>
<p>“Who was that?” Zhengting’s voice came from inside the room. He had shakily gotten onto his feet and looked like he was about to collapse at any second. Wenjun followed suit and supported the magicant towards his bed and gently laid Zhengting down onto it. Beside his bed was a towel that was soaked with water and a pail that smelled foul, to say the least. Justin had really been doing his best to take care of Zhengting while he was sick.</p>
<p>“Just the other two. They’re staying in the other room for the day,” Wenjun murmured as he took the towel and soaked it in the nearby wash basin. It was nearly empty, Justin probably using it throughout the night. “I’ll stay with you for the rest of the day. We can leave tomorrow.”</p>
<p>As Wenjun approached Zhengting once more, he was caught in a slightly anguished and pained expression. The other’s glassy brown eyes were oddly sharp for one moment and seemed to pierce right through Wenjun in the morning light. It illuminated Zhengting’s face, Wenjun taking in his creamy white skin that was tinted red. In all his time with the magicant, he hadn’t truly looked at Zhengting’s face, especially not the way his eyes twinkled in the light or how his lips parted ever so slightly when he was thinking about what to say next. At that moment, he was witnessing both.</p>
<p>“... Do you promise not to leave again?” Zhengting whispered, looking up as Wenjun placed the cool towel on his forehead. “I was so worried I wasn’t going to see you again.”</p>
<p>Wenjun sat on the edge of the bed and took Zhengting’s hand in his and smiled as he brushed the smaller man’s bangs away from his face. “I’ll do my best to stay by your side.”</p>
<p>Zhengting pouted, unsatisfied with the response. “Promise?”</p>
<p>Wenjun let out a small sigh and shook his head wearily. “Do I have to?” A very childish nod was his response. “Fine, I promise. I won’t leave your side if I can help it.”</p>
<p>Zhengting smiled up at Wenjun and at that moment, Wenjun didn’t believe he'd seen anything as angelic. The brunette closed his eyes and relaxed into his bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep. Wenjun watched with a smile on his lips before finding a yawn tugging at his own lips. His tiredness seemed to hit him again all at once and nearly seemed to overwhelm him. It was at that moment he decided that Justin’s bed was all too far and it would be easier for both him and Zhengting if he was nearby. Shifting to lay down next to the magicant, Wenjun closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The City with No Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The group didn’t move out until the day after Wenjun and Chengcheng returned. Thanks to Yanchen’s potion, Zhengting had healed relatively quickly and was ready to go back out onto the road. The next closest city was one Justin had done some solo recon on while the others healed. Supposedly, it was a great city in the middle of a cave system that’s located on the outskirts of the desert. It was known for some kind of fighting ring taken on by only the strongest adventurers in the land. Wenjun had promptly called it shit.</p>
<p>“If it’s so famous, why haven’t any of us heard of it?” The mercenary had remarked on the morning before they left as they sat around a table eating. “I’ve been across this land more times than I can count and not once have I ever heard of it.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure it’s something well known among respectable fighters,” Justin snapped back, not one for his information to be so lightly disregarded. Wenjun had been disgruntled for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>Now, the four had started back out into the desert. Wenjun and Chengcheng were leading the way, already having come down part of the road that led into the city. Justin and Zhengting followed close behind, the latter gently leading Wei Chu through the scorching heat. The horse seemed just as irked at the heat as the rest of them, almost refusing to leave the shade of the stable he was being housed in.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, you’re going the wrong way,” Wenjun called out as the archer had strayed off the path. The mercenary received a lazy wave in response, not quite what he wanted.</p>
<p>Justin, not to go somewhere without his partner, quickly scampered across the sand to where Chengcheng was heading further down the dune. Zhengting went to stand beside Wenjun who was now wearing his trademarked annoyed expression. The magicant giggled to himself slightly as the mercenary rolled his eyes and headed down the side of the dune as well.</p>
<p>“I wanted to get there before nightfall, but no, we have to stop and investigate something!” Wenjun was muttering to himself and this time Zhengting couldn’t hold back laughter at his mocking tone. It sounded vaguely like Chengcheng, so it was obvious that he was ripping on their younger companion.</p>
<p>“With these new clothes, the heat isn’t nearly as bad. Take it easy on them,” Zhengting teased as he went past Wenjun to follow their companions. The taller just rolled his eyes before going over to where the two thieves were investigating something that was on the ground.</p>
<p>“Hey Wenjun, does this look familiar to you?” Chengcheng called without looking back.</p>
<p>“All this sand looks familiar to me,” Wenjun shot back before he stood over Chengcheng’s shoulder to see what he was referencing. Further down on the sandy slope was a dark colored horse that looked to be on it’s final legs of life. Its breathing was shallow and the tongue was lolled out on the ground. It clearly wasn’t in good shape. “Wait, isn’t this the horse that hunter was riding?”</p>
<p>Zhengting peeked around Wenjun to see the mentioned horse, his heart breaking at the sight. He glanced back towards Wei Chu, who had developed a tolerance towards Zhengting and the others, and knew he’d be devastated if anything happened to the mercenary’s horse.</p>
<p>“Should we kill it? You know, out of pity so it’s no suffering any more?” Justin offered, taking a dagger out from under his clothes. Immediately, Zhengting stepped forward and leaned down towards the head of the creature. Behind him, there was some conversation between the other three, but he chose to ignore it.</p>
<p>Holding one hand out in front of the horse, he summed a small collection of water, the stream swirling around in his hand. The horse lifted its head up slightly and sniffed at the liquid before questioningly darting it’s tongue out. Once it realized what Zhengting had was water, it began to eagerly lap up the seemingly endless source of liquid. The magicant couldn’t help but laugh as he felt it continuously lap at his hand, the rough tongue coming into contact with the palm of his hand as if to ask over and over if it could have more.</p>
<p>Zhengting’s giggling at the sensation seemed to end any conversation the other three had. He looked up with a smile as the horse seemed satisfied with the amount it consumed. Slowly, it began to push itself into a standing position. The process took a bit, the sandy ground making it hard to stand, but it eventually made it upright with a shake of its mane.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, if you could do that, why didn’t you do that for yourself when you had a heat stroke?” Chengcheng asked after a few moments of silence. The magicant blinked once before tilting his head to the side.</p>
<p>“You know, I didn’t even think of that,” Zhengting’s honesty responded, which garnered a hearty face palm from Wenjun. Justin simply burst out in laughter and used Wei Chu to support himself. Zhengting felt his face grow red from the situation as he went over to playfully wrap his arms around Chengcheng's shoulder and shake the archer. “Why’d you have to go and say that, now I seem dumber than I usually am!”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Zhengting, we all know you’re dumb!” Justin poked back, which now caused the magicant to turn on him.</p>
<p>“You can’t even read!”</p>
<p>“Well, you can’t either!”</p>
<p>“More than you!”</p>
<p>“Alright, alright. That’s enough,” Wenjun broke in between them, shooing Zhengting’s face away from Justin’s. The magicant crossed his arms over his chest with a huff and stood behind Wenjun with a sullen expression on his face. “What we should be doing is figuring out what we’re going to be doing with the horse.”</p>
<p>“The smartest one has spoken,” Chengcheng whispered to Justin, both of whom broke out into a subdued laughter. Wenjun chose to ignore the comment and turned towards Zhengting.</p>
<p>“You’re the one who fed it, what’s your plan?” Wenjun asked. Zhengting jumped slightly, not expecting to be chosen. As if the new horse understood them, it too was looking at Zhengting as it whinnied.</p>
<p>“Um, well, you said you knew the hunter who it belonged to, and if we’re headed into the city anyway, we may as well return it.” Zhengting cocked his head to one side. He didn’t seem to really believe his own words, but knew better than to just leave the horse to die of dehydration in the desert once more.</p>
<p>“Alright, sounds like a plan. You’re in charge of it though,” Wenjun added, taking the reins of Wei Chu into his own hands. “At least until we find its owner.” Zhengting nodded and eagerly went over to the new addition to the team. Justin rounded on Wenjun, clasping his hands close together on his chest.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, can I get my own horse too?” Despite the shermah covering a majority of Justin’s face, the blond still tried to put on his best puppy dog expression. The mercenary merely flicked the youngest on his partially exposed forehead as he passed.</p>
<p>“No, Justin. No horses for you.”</p>
<p>As they went back to the main road, Chengcheng had taken the liberty of going through the horse’s packs while Zhengting led it along. He had mentioned there wasn’t much to note besides some food, which had gone bad under the baking desert sun, a few silver pieces, and not much else to note. It seemed that whoever was riding it last did not intend to stay out for very long.</p>
<p>The formation they continued walking in shifted slightly as Justin and Chengcheng had taken the lead with Zhengting and Wenjun following behind with the horses in tow. Zhengting found himself casting an occasional glance towards the mercenary, a frown hidden behind the fabrics that encircled his head.</p>
<p>His memories from when he was fevered were faint, but Zhengting was sure something had happened with the mercenary. When he woke up, Wenjun had been on his bed with him, sleeping softly. He had remembered speaking with Justin and spending a better part of one night with the youngest member, but anything that had happened with Wenjun was basically nonexistent. Wenjun himself hadn’t brought anything up besides asking how Zhengting was feeling the next day, so the magicant had chalked it up to not much happening, but the occasional tender expression he caught on Wenjun’s face had been the one thing that showed otherwise.</p>
<p>“... Zhengting?” Wenjun’s voice was coming from close to Zhengting’s ear, making the shorter jump slightly. Wenjun was looking down at him, worry crossing over his face. “I was asking if you wanted to take a break by the ruins or continue onwards. Maybe we should break regardless.”</p>
<p>“N-No, I’m fine!” Zhengting nodded and puffed his chest up. “I’m feeling better than ever! I can keep going!”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted and patted Zhengting on his head, a layer of fabric and a stupid feathered hat separating the calloused hand from reaching Zhengting directly. “If you say so.”</p>
<p>Ahead, Chengcheng had been retelling the story of how they fought the massive creature at the ruins that were now below them, pointing to the crumbling tower and making a large gesture with his arms. Justin seemed to be listening intensely, only occasionally breaking in to ask a question of his own. Zhengting smiled as he watched the two, their friendship deep from years of companionship. He had nothing like that himself, supposing the closest person who would be considered a friend was Xingjie.</p>
<p>The thought of the stern barkeep made Zhengting frown, just like every time he thought of home. It had been almost two weeks since he and Wenjun had left, but it felt like months. He wondered what happened to the inn and tavern after he left, or if Wenjun’s group was actively hunting them. Well, the latter was true, but it seemed like they were doing a pretty poor job of it. The picture of Wenjun they posted didn’t even look similar.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the horse on the end of Zhengting’s lead began to huff slightly and look impatient. Zhengting stopped and patted it’s head lightly with a tilt of his head. “What’s wrong?” The horse became slightly more agitated as Zhengting stood there before he realized that it was pointing in a certain direction. Turning around, Zhengting squinted his eyes to see what perhaps the horse had visual on before realizing it.</p>
<p>In the distance was what looked to be a group of people coming in on horseback, clad in darker colors than the golden sand of the desert. A small cloud was formed behind them and only seemed to be getting closer and closer by the second. Further ahead, Wenjun, Chengcheng, and Justin had all stopped and looked back questioningly. Zhengting looked between them and the cloud in the distance that was growing ever closer, not sure what to say. Soon enough, Wenjun seemed to catch on and questioningly looked in the same direction as Zhengting. He pushed on Chengcheng’s shoulder and brought the two thieves’ attention to it.</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me? In this heat!?” Justin groaned before brandishing two small daggers in either hand. “Why the hell are there bandits out here?”</p>
<p>“Stop talking, start fighting,” Wenjun grunted as he hopped onto Wei Chu’s back and brandished his glaive in one hand. “Zhengting, let’s go try to split them up. These two can pick up the scraps.”</p>
<p>“Hey, we can fight perfectly well too!” Chengcheng said as he properly adjusted his crossbow onto one arm. “But whatever, go ahead and be a hero. I’ll take that thank you when I save your ass afterwards!”</p>
<p>Zhengting moved to clamber onto his new horse, being far less practiced at mounting compared to Wenjun. Once he was comfortably on the saddle, the mercenary nodded at him and spurred his horse forward. Zhengting followed suit, awkwardly clinging on his horse as it started going forward.</p>
<p>At this point, Zhengting had realized just how poor he was at horseback riding. Wenjun had tried to explain the art to him at one point or another, but it fell on deaf ears. The only time he had ridden himself was on Wei Chu’s back as they walked along, which could hardly even count as riding. It was more like a nice guided tour of what being on a horse felt like. This was completely different.</p>
<p>Looking over, Zhengting tried his best to mimic Wenjun’s position, though it didn’t seem to produce great results. The horse below him drifted slightly to one side as Zhengting tried to tug it back into position to follow Wenjun. It wasn’t quite as successful as he planned, the horse whinnying and shaking its head in protest. He noticed the almost smug look Wenjun gave him before the mercenary pulled ahead, focusing back upon the group of bandits.</p>
<p>Looking at them, there seemed to be a total of ten bandits, all done up so only their eyes were visible. Wenjun had motioned to where he was going to try to run into them, cutting off the three on the side, leaving Zhengting to take another three and four to head towards Chengcheng and Justin if they continued forward.</p>
<p>After a few days of rest, Zhengting had felt revitalized and his magic would be ready to go headfirst into the fight. Drawing the sword that Wenjun gifted him, Zhengting held it out behind him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Wenjun was now running parallel to him, his one glaive looking like it was ready to pierce whoever made it too close to them.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, now!” Wenjun’s shout was just audible over the sound of the hooves on sand. Bringing his sword forward, the silvery blade became encased in flames. The magicant slashed it forward, a line of fire sweeping out in front of him. In the distance, there were the faint sounds of cheers from Justin and Chengcheng, making the magicant smirk.</p>
<p>
  <em>Back at the oasis, the magicant had been restless the night before they left. Under the twinkling moonlight, he sat behind the inn with Wenjun’s sword resting on his lap. Their journey through the desert had proved that he couldn’t rely wholly on his magic and that sometimes he would have to fight with a weapon. The only issue was, he didn’t know how to.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He gave the sword some test swings from his position on the ground, but it didn’t really do much for him. The blade was heavy and awkward in Zhengting’s grasp and he wasn’t used to anything like it. If anything, he was thinking about maybe asking Justin for a dagger practice on. They were smaller and would fit his more acrobatic fighting style, if you could even call it that.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You okay?” Justin’s voice rang out from over Zhengting’s head, the thief poking his head out a window of the inn. Without waiting for an answer, Justin had moved to flip himself over the bottom of the window and slowly lower himself down on the rough surface of the inn before letting himself fall and roll to the side. He perked up once he stood up again, a grin on his face. “Wenjun said you had gone outside when Chengcheng went in to check on you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting shrugged as Justin moved to sit next to him. The youngest of the group was oddly perceptive of everyone else, even after only knowing Wenjun and Zhengting for such a short amount of time. “Just nervous, that’s all.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“For what? Going back out?” Zhengting nodded. “Well, if you’re nervous, why do you have a sword in your hand?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting only gave the youngest a small glare and pushed him slightly. “Nervous about using this in battle. Wenjun gave it to me, but I don’t know how to use it like he does.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Justin sat in silence as he listened to Zhengting before nodding. “Then don’t use it like he does.Use it like you do.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Justin that makes no sense,” Zhengting furrowed in brows in confusion. He wasn’t sure if the other was spouting nonsense or just trying to sound more grown up than he actually was.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, all because Wenjun does it one way doesn’t mean that you have to as well.” A smirk formed on Justin’s lips. “Besides, he doesn’t have magic.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting looked at the blade, the silver shining slightly under the light from the moon. “You’re right, he doesn’t…”</em>
</p>
<p>The conversation with Justin was just the right push Zhengting needed. He had been treating Wenjun’s sword as some foreign entity that shouldn’t be touched, but instead, he realized it wasn’t made for looking pretty on Zhengting’s hip. It was made for fighting.</p>
<p>During their trek out here, he had been experimenting with the weapon, swinging it around and seeing what he could do with it, and now with the spark of battle going through him, it seemed to click together. The sword acted as the perfect medium to channel his magic through and attack with better precision. Sadly, the ones who were being the test subjects just happened to be bandits who didn’t know just who they were trying to rob.</p>
<p>As the fire stretched out in front of Zhengting, the horses from the bandits let out loud whinnies before drawing back and rushing away from the sudden blaze. Most of the bandits had been bucked off and were now standing in the sand on their own with weapons drawn. Zhengting had accidentally rounded in an extra one, so now four were facing him with three heading out towards Chengcheng and Justin and Wenjun had already taken out one of his and was rounding up the other two. Zhengting couldn’t hide the smirk that was on his face, thinking this was too easy. For once, he was the person in control.</p>
<p>Suddenly, things were no longer as easy as the thought as a new blast of fire came in the magicant’s direction, going right beside his head. His new horse whinnied and dashed away from the group with Zhengting still on its back. His eyes widened as the one man that attacked them lowered a hand and shouted something in Zhengting’s direction. The men who were going for Wenjun heard the call first and turned to double back towards Zhengting. The ones headed forwards the two thieves weren’t as lucky as two of them were already sporting bolts from Chengcheng’s crossbow and another was brought down by Justin’s rope daggers and was now on the ground was blood spilling out from a wound on his side.</p>
<p>Wenjun shouted as he led Wei Chu towards one of the other bandits, looking around for Zhengting. The magicant had circled around the group that attacked him, trying to figure out what else he could do. He’d never fought anyone else with magical abilities, but something about them seemed off. Zhengting knew what his magic felt like, something like he knew he made and was his to control. The magic was practically hurled in his direction and seemed to be almost wild and uncontrollable. It didn’t seem natural or practiced at all, and even with Zhengting’s minimal training, he knew it wasn't right.</p>
<p>Ignoring the nagging feeling Zhengting had, he drew his sword once more and did his best to stand up higher on his horse. Using his knees to anchor himself, Zhengting felt his sword grow heavier in his hand as ice began to encircle the blade, making it look more like a club. Aiming for the one that blasted fire at him, Zhengting let out a shout before bringing the ice clad sword down on the bandit. It met his face with a sickening smack as the bandit tumbled back into the sand and blood began to drip out of his nose.</p>
<p>Using this chance, Zhengting pulled on his horse’s reins with his free hand to make a circle and went in for the next man, who attempted to run away. He wasn’t successful and was soon met with a hit from the ice sword onto the back of his head.</p>
<p>With his adrenaline really pumping, Zhengting almost didn’t notice the bandit who had jumped back on a horse pulled up close to him. Zhengting let out a shout as a curved sword cut into his side and effectively made him tumble off his horse and into the sand. His sword went flying in another direction and Zhengting quickly lost track of where his horse ran off to. In the distance, he heard Wenjun’s worried call getting closer, but the sound of hooves was even closer. Ignoring the stinging pain in his side, Zhengting rolled out of the way of an incoming bandit, the horse running over right where his head would have been.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, grab on!” Looking up, Wenjun was now coming by on Wei Chu with one hand extended down towards Zhengting. WIthout hesitation, the magicant got up and braced himself to be tugged along by Wenjun.</p>
<p>Right as they were about to meet, another wave of untamed fire rushed between them and scared Wei Chu from getting and closer. Zhengting felt the first burn his hand and quickly retracted it back towards himself. Looking over, one of the bandits who had been grounded was now shooting a stream of fire from himself, but something wasn’t right.</p>
<p>Unable to stop it, he began to turn around and shout at the others for help, inadvertently hitting them with the fire and causing the bandits to scream in pain as they were burned. He had one hand bracing the one that was producing the flame and couldn’t seem to be able to control it. In silent horror, Zhengting watched as the man had begun to panic and effectively take out the remaining members of his group. The blaze of the fire grew larger and larger, practically engulfing everything that had gotten too close to the man. Eventually, he turned towards Zhengting with the flame, but the magicant was ready with his own protection. He produced a wall of water, which took more effort than he thought under the hot sun, and listened as the fire sizzled away at it. Soon, the man’s screams turned frightened and alarmed before coming to a sudden stop. The fire was gone in an instant and the man had collapsed on the ground.</p>
<p>Zhengting dropped the wall of water before falling to his knees as he took in the scene before him. Several of the bandit’s horses were running off in the desert as most of the men were lying in a scorched circle. In the center was the one who was attempting to control the fire, unmoving from his position. In the distance, the ones that Zhengting and Wenjun had taken out first still hadn’t come to consciousness yet.</p>
<p>Wenjun had thankfully led Wei Chu far enough away from the flame to avoid it’s wrath, bringing back with him the hunter’s horse as well. He pulled up beside Zhengting, observing the bodies that were laid out before them. “That was interesting.”</p>
<p>Zhengting numbly nodded his head as he shakily stood up. A little ways away from him was his sword, the ice nearly completely gone from the blade. As the magicant went to retrieve it, Wenjun had hopped off Wei Chu and made his way towards the bodies. Zhengting joined him moments later and covered his mouth. The smell of burnt fabric and skin was pungent, most of the men having burns covering the upper halves of their bodies. In the center, the man who had been creating the flame was quite obviously dead, the skin around his hand burnt away and crisp. His skin had turned sullen and drooped over his body like it didn’t fit right. Zhengting had to hold back the urge to regurgitate everything he had for breakfast earlier that day.</p>
<p>Wenjun glanced towards the magicant before putting one arm around Zhengting and pulling him away, back towards the horses. Zhengting stumbled alongside him with one hand covering his mouth. They didn’t exchange any words, but Wenjun’s arm was a comforting presence that Zhengting desperately needed. Once they reached the horses, Zhengting felt all the strength leave his legs as he collapsed to the ground and finally gave into his stomach’s urging.</p>
<p>Wenjun gently rubbed Zhengting’s back as the magicant emptied his stomach. They stayed like that long enough for Justin and Chengcheng to join them, not quite aware of the extent of the situation. They had stopped to investigate the bodies as well, but didn’t stay very long. The thieves looked between the bandits in the distance and Zhengting and just silently stood by the other members of their group.</p>
<p>“Should we get going? The sun is about the set soon,” Chengcheng said after a while. Wenjun looked up sharply, as if he didn’t expect the other two to be there. Glancing towards Zhengting, who now was shakily on his feet, the mercenary nodded. Working around the still shaken magicant, Wenjun directed Chengcheng and Justin to get onto the hunter’s horse, who was slightly reluctant to let on the two new riders, but tolerated them as Zhengting was helped onto the back of Wei Chu. The magicant numbly hugged Wenjun as they started prepared to go on once more, but the mercenary knew better than to say anything.</p>
<p>Urging the horses forward, the group began to head towards the city faster than when they had been on foot. It seemed as if they were fruitlessly chasing after the setting sun as a familiar chill began to set in and there was no city in sight. This time they had opted for as few breaks as possible, the four only stopping to occasionally take in some water in silence. Zhengting’s unusual demeanor seemed to be weighing heavily on the rest of the group.</p>
<p>“How much further should we go?” Chengcheng pulled his horse up next to Wenjuns. The sun had just set over the horizon, now leaving the group in the chilly night air. The desert was as dark as ever, only the light of the moon giving them any idea on what was around them.</p>
<p>“I think I can see some sort of cave up ahead. We can camp there tonight then head out before dawn.” Wenjun suggested. Looking back, he noticed that Justin was lightly snoring against Chengcheng’s back. It seemed as though the younger was weak to the heat and chose to sleep away the later half of their journey.</p>
<p>“Sounds good to me,” the archer nodded and moved his horse forward to lead the way as Wenjun fell in behind him. The mercenary glanced behind himself at Zhengting, who hadn’t changed much. Since he saw the remains of the bandits, he had hardly uttered a word. Wenjun frowned before looking forward once more and lowering his voice. “Zhengting?”</p>
<p>“Mm?” His voice sent chills up Wenjun’s back as he could feel the small vibrations from Zhengting press against him. It was also the most sound the magicant made in a while.</p>
<p>“Do you want to talk?”</p>
<p>“No…” His voice was dry and scratchy from disuse as he tried once to clear his throat with a small cough. “I’m fine.”</p>
<p>Wenjun rolled his eyes even though he knew the other couldn’t see it. Maybe Zhengting would just know. “No you’re not. But I won’t push you to talk if you don’t want to.”</p>
<p>The grip around Wenjun’s waist tightened, long and delicate fingers digging into his torso. Zhengting didn’t acknowledge him beyond that for a moment before Wenjun felt him bury his face into the mercenary’s back. “Do you think… that will happen to me too?”</p>
<p>“What will?” Wenjun didn’t turn around as he asked, but he could feel Zhengting’s breathing quicken ever so slightly.</p>
<p>“Th-that one guy… Who lost control of his fire. He was a magicant too, right? He hurt all his friends and died looking like that… I don’t want that to happen to me,” Zhengting’s voice quivered with almost every word and slowly rose in volume. Once he ended, Wenjun could now hear the quick breaths the other was taking. He pulled Wei Chu to a stop outside the caves they were now approaching.</p>
<p>“Chengcheng, can you guys go ahead for a bit? We’ll catch up with you soon, but if anything happens, come back here.” Chengcheng only nodded, a look of confusion on his face as he roused Justin back awake and headed into the caves.</p>
<p>Wenjun gently pried Zhengting’s fingers off himself and got off Wei Chu. The horse snorted and kicked up some sand, but in the growing nighttime, it seemed fine with staying in place. He turned to face the magicant, who hurriedly hid his face behind the layers of fabric that protected it from the sun. Wenjun could just see the small bit of remaining light twinkle off the tears that had formed in the corner of the other’s eyes. Without a word, the mercenary pulled the other into a hug and held tightly onto Zhengting. At first, there was no response, but eventually a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Wenjun’s shoulders and held on tightly.</p>
<p>“Zhengting, I don’t think that will happen to you. You are very strong with your magic and fight amazingly. And, if that ever did happen, then the rest of us will be there to stop you before anything bad happens. Got it?” Wenjun felt Zhengting’s body shake from the sobs, but a small smile crept onto his face as Zhengting also nodded. They stayed like that for a little bit, the sun eventually setting over the horizon. Once Zhengting’s sobbing came to an eventual sniffle did they separate. Zhengting removed his shermagh to reveal a slightly red and puffy face, which Wenjun couldn’t help but chuckle at.</p>
<p>In the distance, the sound of hooves running against the sand had ruined their moment. In an instant, Wenjun moved into a defensive position and drew his glaive. Zhengting had scooted forward on Wei Chu to try and get a better look, but with the severe lack of sunlight, it was difficult.</p>
<p>“Hold on, I don’t think it’s an enemy,” Zhengting said as he placed one hand on Wenjun’s shoulder. The mercenary only relaxed slightly, though continued to hold his glaive in an offensive position.</p>
<p>Out from the cave complex came Chengcheng and Justin. Neither of them appeared to be worried or scared, instead wearing large grins on their faces as they began to slow down. “Wenjun, Zhengting! We’re here!”</p>
<p>Wenjun, upon noticing the familiar faces, snorted and set his glaive onto his back. “What’s here?”</p>
<p>“The city,” Chengcheng added as he pulled the horse to a stop by Wenjun. The young thief had turned out to be a gifted rider, certainly better than Zhengting. “It’s in the cave system up ahead.”</p>
<p>“Already?” Zhengting asked as he perked up. Exchanging a glance with Wenjun, the mercenary nodded and hopped back onto his horse. “Led the way then!”</p>
<p>Chengcheng nodded and fixed his goggles once before spurring his horse forward with a shout. Wenjun did the same, leading Wei Chu into the series of caves in front of them. The ceiling of the sandstone caves rose high above their heads with various branching paths that lead deeper and deeper into the whole system. Eventually, the sand under the horses’ hooves gave way to pure rock as they traveled further and further away from the entrance.</p>
<p>Zhengting couldn’t help but stare at everything with wide eyes, silently taking in the view. It was hard to see down any of the other tunnels due to the prevailing darkness, but the occasional hole in the roof of the main cave was just enough to allow moonlight and sand to pass through and illuminate the way.</p>
<p>“The main cavern is right up ahead,” Chengcheng called over his shoulder. Zhengting adjusted himself so he could peek over Wenjun’s shoulder as they drew closer. The cave seemed to open up suddenly, the roof arching even further over their head and sides opening up to reveal a large city that was illuminated by various torches that were placed on the buildings. The buildings were made out of the same reddish sandstone as the rest of the cave and filled up the majority of the cavern. Gemstones adorned the tops of buildings and twinkled in the low fire light. There were people that were entering various caves that also lead into the cavern as well as a healthy amount of people in the city.</p>
<p>“Wow…” Zhengting whispered in Wenjun’s ear as they made their way inside the city. “This place looks so cool.”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted and brought Wei Chu closer to Chengcheng and Justin, who were now leading the search for a stable. “I personally enjoy being where I can see the sky,” he emphasized his point by looking up and pointing out only the small gaps in the roof where sand rained down slowly. “It feels too clustered in here.”</p>
<p>Zhengting chuckled, smiling mischievously behind Wenjun’s back. “Wow, who knew the big bad mercenary was afraid of something?”</p>
<p>“I-I’m not afraid! I just have preferences!” Wenjun turned back around with a huff, but the red that tinged his ears was just enough to let Zhengting know his playful jab was successful in riling up the other.</p>
<p>“Wenjun, it looks like there’s a stable over here!” Justin’s voice sounded from a little ways ahead of them. The two thieves had wandered ahead of Zhengting and Wenjun, not that either of the older members of the group noticed. With a cough, Wenjun rushed Wei Chu forward to stop in front of the stall they had come across. The mercenary tried to ignore the looks that Justin and Chengcheng were giving him as he began to pay for the overnight keep of the horses before he heard a shout somewhere from the crowd behind them.</p>
<p>“Wait! That’s my horse!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm alive! Kind of? Online classes are the absolute worst, so pardon me not posting very much. I'm going to try to start writing more again because this fic is far from over.</p>
<p>As always, thank you for reading and I can't wait to see you in the next chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. This Just-in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Justin looked over his shoulder to see just who was shouting at them. Through the crowd of tanned cloths, one was moving slightly faster than the others with one arm raised. He could hear Chengcheng scoff behind him and even Wenjun’s sigh was audible above the din of the city.</p><p>“Who’s that?” The blond leaned back to whisper to Chengcheng. The older thief shook his head and pushed his goggles on to his forehead. Justin cocked his head slightly and slid off the side of the horse to watch the man struggle to reach them. He was shorter than Justin had imagined with a large sword that was attached to his back. It was wrapped in some kind of bandage, but it was obviously no small feat to carry around.</p><p>“Glad for you to leave it for us,” Chengcheng said as he came to stand beside Wenjun with his arms crossed. “It was dying of dehydration in the desert!”</p><p>Justin moved over towards Zhengting, who was watching with equal amounts of confusion on his face. “I think this is the hunter guy who they met in the desert. The one who left the horse behind.” The magicant’s mouth turned into a small “oh” as he understood the connection and watched as the other two engaged in conversation with the hunter.</p><p>Justin drowned out the conversation as he began to look around the city. It was crawling with people in heavy robes and more simple silky outfits that all had gold decorating them and practically begging to be stolen. He began to quickly group people together in his head, finding the ones who look a bit more skittish from those who probably wouldn’t notice if a gold piece or two went missing. Despite the unforgiving nature of the route to this city, it seemed as though there was a fair number of travelers laden with valuables.</p><p>Eventually, he was brought back to reality by Chengcheng, who gave him a harsh jab in the side. Something had now happened in front of him, with the smaller man shouting something at Wenjun before disappearing into the crowd and the mercenary looking miffed.</p><p>“What did I miss?”</p><p>Chengcheng rolled his eyes. “The hunter guy challenged Wenjun to a fight in some sort of arena here. If Wenjun wins, we keep the horse, if he defeats Wenjun, he gets it back.” Chengcheng slid his goggles back over his eyes and took Justin’s hand in his. It was natural when they locked fingers, something they’ve done since they were children as to comfort one another, but this time, it was more than just a simple comfort. It was a warning. “And you have to stop looking.”</p><p>They continued to walk behind Zhengting and Wenjun, watching the two older members of the group go back and forth about something that Justin didn’t care enough about to listen to. He swung their hands back and forth and glanced down towards the ground. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Justin, I’m not dumb. I know what you’re doing and you need to stop.” Chengcheng pulled his shemagh to cover his mouth and turned away from Justin as he continued. “We don’t have to do that any more. We aren’t street rats.”</p><p>Justin could feel himself bristle slightly at the statement. He would expect that kind of lecture from Wenjun or someone who was older or more mature than them, not from Chengcheng himself. They weren’t just street rats, they had been friends, partners, for years and always stole things together. It was really all they could do without a real family and home. And now Justin was being told to just forget all that?</p><p>“Oh? You went out on one poach and think you’re some high and mighty hunter now, don’t you?” Justin hissed, even feeling out of character himself to be getting this upset with Chengcheng. “You don’t know when they’ll drop us, Chengcheng! We can’t just idly stand to the side and pretend like we’re gonna be like this forever!”</p><p>“That’s not what I’m saying at all!” Chengcheng stopped and adjusted his grip onto Justin’s wrist. He glared down at the younger intensely, and with the coloring of the goggles, it was impossible to look away. “What I’m saying is that we don’t have to be like that anymore. We can be new people, together.” Chengcheng’s voice got soft as he ended, but the tears were already forming at the corner of Justin’s eyes. He didn’t want to be someone new, he wanted to be what they’ve always been. Just the two of them.</p><p>“What, are you just trying to get rid of everything we’ve gone through together?” Justin couldn’t hold back the sobs now and Chengcheng’s rushed apology fell on deaf ears. Ripping his hand away from the archer’s grasp, Justin booked it down the road with blurry vision. In the distance, he saw Zhengting and Wenjun looking around for them and immediately latched himself on to Zhengting’s arm. Justin hid his face and didn’t look up even when the older pair’s worried voices began to tumble around him. He felt Wenjun’s hand on his shoulder give a comforting squeeze and let out a small sound to show he felt the gesture.</p><p>Eventually, Chengcheng had come back up to join them, but Justin refused to acknowledge him and instead stayed silent on Zhengting’s arm. The magicant didn’t say anything, but kept giving Justin looks that meant they needed to talk later. In fact, none of them shared a word until they made their way towards an inn and Justin insisted on getting two rooms once more, each with two beds. At first, Wenjun looked like he was tempted to argue, but let it go.</p><p>Once in their room, Justin bit his lip to keep from crying even more in front of Zhengting. The older calmly sat down on one of the beds and waited for Justin to join him. Just days earlier, it had been Justin trying to help Zhengting, now their situations were reversed.</p><p>“So, do you want to say what happened?” Zhengting asked softly as Justin continued to stand awkwardly by the door. “Or would you like to rest first?”</p><p>“I wanna sleep,” Justin mumbled. The whole argument with Chengcheng felt like a massive weight on him and he hoped sleeping would alleviate at least some of it. The older simply nodded and went to disrobing himself for the most part, Justin following suit.</p><p>After bidding good night to one another, Justin curled up in his bed and let out a low sigh. He was so used to sharing the same bed as Chengcheng, that it was weird for him to be sleeping alone. Ever since they had ended up being the only two survivors from the fire, they had stuck together closer than anything else in the world. It was completely natural for once to follow the other and vice versa. They would steal together, eat together, and sleep together. The more Justin thought about it, he found that the only time they weren’t together was when someone was sick and the other went out to find medicine.</p><p>Justin knew he was blowing his anger at Chengcheng out of proportion. He had every right to be! Yet, it still didn’t sit well with him. It led to his sleep being difficult and sporadic at best, often waking up throughout the night to the unfamiliar sound of Zhengting snoring and an odd chilliness on his back. And, once he had made it back to sleep, he was plagued with nightmares of the fire engulfing the whole church and the screams of his friends from inside. It had been years since he dreamed of it, but when they were younger, Justin found himself soothed back to sleep when Chengcheng took his hand once more. This time, he was left to fend off the shaking and horror by himself. Sleeping alone now felt like a punishment for himself instead of Chengcheng.</p><p>After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, morning came rather suddenly. The light outside the window went from nonexistent to blinding in what felt like a matter of seconds. There were only a few skylights that formed naturally at the top of the cavern that allowed sunlight for a few precious hours a day, as they could only really let light through when the sun was directly shining down on them. This morning was the first time Justin had experienced it, and he could already tell he wasn’t a fan. It was far too jarring for his taste and the idea of waking up without a sun rise over the horizon was a dismal thought.</p><p>There was a knock on the door, followed by Wenjun’s head popping in. The tall mercenary looked as neutral as ever as he glanced first towards Zhengting’s messy sleeping posture then back towards Justin. “Chengcheng and I are heading downstairs. We should grab food and discuss what we’re gonna do today.”</p><p>Justin just stared blankly at Wenjun until the older man sighed and shut the door. The sound of disappearing footsteps echoed through the hall for a moment before going silent. Justin let out a yawn before dragging his feet over to Zhengting’s bed and shaking the magicant awake. Like Justin, Zhengting wasn’t exactly a morning person, but could pull himself out of bed when it was time.</p><p>The thought of Chengcheng’s distaste for waking up and general morning crabbines crossed Justin’s mind as he got ready and he couldn’t help but laugh to himself. Then, he had to go and remind himself he was mad at Chengcheng and shouldn’t be allowing the other’s soft smile or good morning hug take over his head. Nope, not at all.</p><p>Trying to get the image out of his head, Justin dug through the bag that he brought in with him (purchased by Wenjun after he found out the younger boy’s knack to pick up anything that caught his attention) and dug through it to find something that might have been likened to somewhat clean clothes. Instead, all he found was his dirty street clothes that we covered with sand and the skimpy red outfit that Chengcheng had bought him alongside the rest of his new clothes.</p><p>“What’s that?” Zhengting’s voice came from over Justin’s shoulder, startling the thief. With red cheeks, he quickly pushed the outfit back into the deepest crevice of his bag in hopes to never see it any time soon.</p><p>“Nothing! I was just looking for clean clothes, that’s all!” Justin said swiftly in hopes that Zhengting was still too tired to realize what he was hiding.</p><p>“I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve had clean clothes,” was all the other muttered as he sleepily made his way back over to the other side of the room. Justin let out a small sigh as he pulled on his robes and scarf, making sure a majority of his face was covered by it. Unlike the others who wore the shemaghs, Justin found comfort in wearing his normal scarf around his face instead as he had always done. It’s easier to steal when they don’t know your face after all.</p><p>“Yeah, I agree,” Justin said as he stood up. Zhengting yawned once more as he made his way to the door and twisted the knob. “Do you have the key?”</p><p>“Oh, I guess I should get that,” Justin watched as Zhengting padded over to the nightstand by his bed and grabbed the key that was sitting there. Part of him itched to head downstairs so he could possibly confront Chengcheng, but the other half screamed for the magicant to be even slower so he wouldn’t have to even Chengcheng’s face that morning.</p><p>In the end, Justin didn’t get his wish as they locked the door and headed downstairs to where the others were waiting. Wenjun stood against one wall, his glaive still strapped to his back, and turned to face them when they walked down the stairs. Zhengting seemed to gravitate towards the mercenary almost instantly as he made his way over. A little further away, Chengcheng was sitting in a small wicker chair and rose his head to meet Justin’s eyes.</p><p>Unlike his usual look, Chengcheng had gone with painted stripes under his eyes instead of his goggles. Justin sucked in a breath as he was met with Chengcheng’s natural eyes and immediately turned away. He wasn’t as upset as was the day before, but seeing the other actually look sorry stirred something up in Justin. He always was so headstrong in whatever he did, it was hard to see him actually thinking over the consequences of his actions. In one way, it made Justin feel even worse.</p><p>So, instead of addressing the issue, Justin practically hid behind Zhengting as he spoke with Wenjun. He nodded his head on occasion to make it sound like he was listening to them, but he was actually just trying to look anywhere other than Chengcheng. He knew the older boy’s gaze was fixated on him and it was hard to ignore, but Justin did his best, even if it wasn’t that good.</p><p>“... So, what do you think Justin?” The blond suddenly realized that Wenjun and Zhengting’s gazes were also on him, but he had been completely out of it and had no clue about the contents of the conversation.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>The mercenary sighed and shook his head. “We wanted to know if you had any ideas about going about this whole arena battle. You’re always one to be brewing some kind of plan.”</p><p>“O-Oh,” Justin found himself at a loss for words as he tried to think of something right then and there. “How about we split up? Go to different parts of the city and see what we can learn about it. If what we heard back at the oasis was true, I don’t think this is any normal battle he challenged you to.”</p><p>Zhengting nodded thoughtfully in confirmation at Justin’s proposition. “That sounds like a good idea, we can go in pairs and-”</p><p>“I was thinking we could spread out individually!” The blond cut Zhengting off before he could say anymore. “I mean, wouldn’t we get a better layout of the city that way if we all explore different parts of it?”</p><p>“It could also leave us wide open to getting lost or attacked,” Chengcheng spoke up for the first time that morning and glared down hard at Justin. “Separating is just welcoming trouble.”</p><p>“I think we’re all pretty equipped to handle ‘trouble’,” Justin shot back, not hiding the venomous tone his voice took on. He glared back at Chengcheng, taunting the other to say something again.</p><p>“You’re both right,” Wenjun cut in, trying to ease the tension that had been building up. “But, I think we’re all old enough to decide how we explore the city. Splitting up does seem like the best option available to us right now, so there’s no harm in digging up some information.”</p><p>“I’m going on my own,” Justin announced before pulling his scarf up and marching his way out of the inn. He could feel his rope darts wrapped tightly around his wrists as Chengcheng called out to him and briefly considered for a moment sending them flying in the archer’s direction, but that would be too much, even for Justin. Instead, he just chose to go off in a random direction of the city and find out as much information as he could.</p><p>He absently began to wander the streets, walking among both locals and visitors. He passed shops of all sorts, many he hadn’t even heard of. It was impossible for him to read the signs beyond the few words he recognized, so when someone shouted at him and asked if he wanted to try something called a “perfume”, Justin hurried away from the shop.</p><p>Instead, he found himself wandering into a district that he was familiar with in his own city. It was filled with people who didn’t even spare a second glance at people like Justin, dressed in fabrics and jewelry he could only ever dream about. It was the rich district, or as he liked to call it, the mobile bank. Everyone was wearing gold and gems that Justin could only dream about buying, but could very easily make stealing them into a reality.</p><p>Sticking to the shadows on the edge of the road, Justin lurked around until he could find a good target. He knew that he was supposed to be getting information for everyone else, but the only thing better than information is money, so Justin settled for getting that instead.</p><p>He eventually came to a stop between two buildings, wiggling his way between them to get a better assessment of the area. He noticed most of the people there were older men, all of them having some sort of beauty attached to their arms. The girls were wearing clothes similar to the outfit that Chengcheng got him, the golden pieces shimmering in the dim light that came down from above. As Justin sat there to watch the people pass by, he heard a rather interesting conversation coming from somewhere above him.</p><p>“... So, who are you betting on this round?” Glancing up, Justin was just able to make out the features of several man sitting around a table, though most of their faces were too blurry to make out at this distance and he could only clearly make out their voices.</p><p>“Devin the Destroyer, of course! Who else is there to bet on? No one has ever gone as far as him!” One of the men sitting further away remarked on this, making Justin tilt his head.</p><p>“Oh, but didn’t you hear? He challenged some poor adventurer to a battle in the arena! I doubt the poor lad will even get far enough to meet him.” The man who was closest to Justin swirled a drink in his hand and took a sip out of it after making his statement. The thief frowned that the fact that the hunter’s challenge against Wenjun had made it this far. Was he really that big of a deal, this so-called Devin the Destroyer?</p><p>“Well, of course not! We haven’t even gotten any new sign ups, so he must have seen who he was against and backed out!” The group shared a laugh, some higher pitched giggles mixed in there. This made Justin’s blood boil, hearing them talk so flippiantly about Wenjun like that. For as much of him that wanted to confront them and let them know that Wenjun was strong enough to take on this ‘Devin the Destroyer’ guy, Justin knew it would be bad to get caught. Instead, he backed off and vowed to come back and ruin them all. In time, of course.</p><p>Sliding through the gap between the buildings, Justin slowly made his way back towards the front of the city where their inn was located. He had no clue where the others were, but that didn’t matter. He was going to get into that club no matter what and find out what exactly they were talking about.</p><p>“Justin?” Zhengting’s voice came out from behind him as the thief went back onto the road to look for the inn they were staying at. The magicant was alone, a rare sight in itself, and blinked a few times as he came closer. “Are you done already?”</p><p>“Zhengting!” Justin rounded on him with wide eyes, a plan forming wildly in his head. “Can I have the keys to the room really quick?”</p><p>The magicant gave him a weird look before fishing the keys out of a pocket and handing them to the thief. “Can I ask what this is about?”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it!” With that, Justin took off towards their room, unlocking the door and going over to his bag. He didn’t bother to relock the door as he went to get changed. Laying out the flowy fabric on the bed, Justin began to peel off the layers of his clothes before there was a sound at his door.</p><p>“You telling me not to worry just makes me worry more,” Zhengting said as he walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He glanced at the outfit on the bed and the partially undressed Justin and narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are you doing?”</p><p>Justin continued, completely unphased by Zhengting’s question. He pulled the sheer top over his head and watched as it stopped right at his waist. Next, he pulled on the matching bottoms that sat high on his hips and dipped down on the front. It came with a sash to decorate it with, but to be truthful, Justin had no clue what to do with it, so he wrapped it over his head instead. Once he finished, he turned back towards Zhengting with a smile. “Getting changed?”</p><p>Zhengting stared at Justin with an unamused expression on his face. “Is this for gathering information or your own personal enjoyment?”</p><p>“Both?” Justin couldn’t help but turn back to the small mirror that was in their room. He was adjusting his outfit in an attempt to look less manly. The flowy fabrics made it easy to cover most of the sharp points of his body. “I overheard these guys in some fancy place talking about the arena and they were dissing Wenjun! So, I thought I may as well show them what they’re dealing with!”</p><p>“Alone?” Zhengting’s accusatory tone made Justin flinch slightly. For however much he valued his newfound friendship with the magicant, he often sounded like a mother scolding their child. Justin didn’t even know what having a mother was like, but he assumed it was something like Zhengting.</p><p>“Well, I didn’t plan on anyone joining me…” Justin left it off and playfully batted his eyes at Zhengting. The older seemed to want to back out right then and there, allow Justin to be on his way, before he sighed.</p><p>“You’re lucky Wenjun wanted me to do some shopping and left me with the money,” Zhengting said as he stood up. Justin rushed over and captured the older in a tight hug, nearly knocking them both down on the bed.</p><p>“Thank you Zhengting! I’ll find some way to repay you!” Justin practically squealed before he was unceremoniously pried off of the magicant.</p><p>“We’re a group now, you don’t have to ‘repay’ me anything.” Zhengting pulled the bag of coins out from under his clothes. It obviously wasn’t the full amount in their coffers, Wenjun kept hold of that, but there sounded to be quite a bit left. “Let’s just hope this is enough to look nice. Wait here, I’ll be back.”</p><p>With that, Zhengting went out the door, being sure to keep it locked behind him, and quickly left the inn. Justin went back to fiddle with his outfit in front of the mirror, tugging and adjusting it as he so pleased. He remembered when Chengcheng had first shown it to him, saying how Justin would look hilarious in it. Now, the older thief would most likely be shocked to know that Justin didn’t look hilarious in the outfit, he looked damn good in it.</p><p>Justin hadn’t realized so much time passed until he heard keys jingling at the door and Zhengting bursting through with red cheeks. In his arms was a heap of white fabric similar to what Justin was wearing, that was quickly thrown on the bed and followed by Zhengting plopping himself face first onto the bed. Justin silently made his way over and crouched by the edge of the bed.</p><p>“Something happen?” Justin asked as he rested his chin on the side of the bed. Zhengting just sighed and pushed himself up. His cheeks were still flushed a bit red and seemed to be embarrassed by something.</p><p>“Just some misunderstandings at the shop,” was all the magicant said before he slid to the edge of the bed. Curiously, Justin tilted his head before shrugging and giving Zhengting some privacy to change into his newly bought outfit.</p><p>“So, do you think I look cute enough?” Justin made some faces in the mirror completely believing in his own looks. He was called cute as a child and he was sure his charm hadn’t faded over the years. He had grown taller and gained a bit of muscle, sure, but his boyish charms still weren’t lost just yet. He knew he was handsome for sure, so being pretty shouldn’t be that much harder.</p><p>“No,” came Zhengting’s blunt reply from the other side of the room. Justin whipped his head around fast enough to cause whiplash, his glare sharp and pout strong. “You still are like a kid.”</p><p>“What? Don’t guys like that?”</p><p>Zhengting snorted as he turned around, the little dangling gold pieces on his own outfit jingling as he did so. Unlike Justin’s red outfit, Zhengting’s clothes were white and had a piece of fabric that was connected to cuffs on either wrist that ran behind him. They followed a similar design, being light and flowy, but the older seemed to radiate a whole other feeling from Justin. While the blond was cute and innocent, the magicant’s lithe, yet sculpted body oozed sex appeal as he gracefully moved sauntered from beside his bed to the front of the room. Justin realized the difference then.</p><p>“Though, some people prefer that kind of look. The innocent and young look, trying to not reveal themselves too much.” Zhengting took a better part of that afternoon on making sure Justin was walking and acting the right way. While Justin didn’t question how Zhengting knew so much, he took it for granted. By the end, he had found the other a harsh, but helpful teacher that quickly got him to look less like himself and more like a girl who was on her way to find some guy to latch onto.</p><p>“Don’t you think my hair ruins it?” Justin had been jealous of Zhengting’s hair, which was shorter than his, but had this fluffy quality to it that played well with his features. Justin’s hair was longer, his bangs brushing his eyes and blond layers tickling his nape.</p><p>Zhengting looked back and shook his head as he playfully ruffled Justin’s hair in a similar manner that the young thief had seen Wenjun do to the magicant. “Nope, it’s perfect. Besides, blonds are rare here, so it definitely works well for you!”</p><p>Latching their arms together, Justin led the way out of the inn and back onto the main road. He glanced around to make sure neither Chengcheng or Wenjun were there before dragging Zhengting into the crowd with their head pressed close together as if they were in some kind of conversation. His eyes flickered out for familiar landmarks he passed earlier in the day as they made their way back towards the richer district. Once there, instead of sticking to the shadows, Justin had been sure to walk down the street with Zhengting at his side, the two of them looking around.</p><p>Their plan was simple: claim to be two sisters who were visiting and got lost on their way sightseeing. Hoping that someone would pick them up, they would try to get them to bring them to the club that Justin had spied on earlier and see if they could find any more hints.</p><p>Of course, they got glances and some eyes lingered on them for a moment too long, but none of them were enough to approach the duo. That was, until they reached the club. Justin tugged on Zhengting’s arms and leaned up to whisper into his ear. “That’s the place.”</p><p>Instead of dignifying a response, Zhengting covered his mouth and giggled, as if Justin had told him a joke. In response, a shy grin found its way onto the thief’s lip before the second part of their plan went into action. Soon enough, he went from being proud of his joke to purposely scuffing his foot on the uneven group, The city relied on the natural make up of the cavern for a base, meaning the ground was worn away in some place and uneven in others, making it plenty plausible for Justin to trip and tumble forward with an awkward squawk of surprise. He lurched onto his knees and found crocodile tears pooling up at the corner of his eyes as Zhengting flew to his side to make sure Justin was fine.</p><p>“Nana? Oh, Nana, did you hurt yourself? Are you okay?” Zhengting’s voice was pitched a little higher than usual and it was hard to keep a straight face. Justin nodded his head and wiped one tear out of his eyes as he shakily stood to his feet.</p><p>“Oh my, is the little lady okay?” A voice came from over them, causing both Justin and Zhengting to look up. A man dressed in pristine white linen clothes was offering one hand to them, a smile curved into his face. Zhengting glanced at Justin, who shyly hid his face.</p><p>“I-I’m fine, thank you…” Justin was sure to keep his voice soft and quiet, lest it be found out he wasn’t a girl at all. The man didn’t seem to waver though as he took one of Justin’s hands in his and brushed off the dirt that had dug itself into his palms.</p><p>“These hands of yours are too scratched up to be fine,” the man looked around before his eyes settled on the nearby club. “Come, let’s wash them out. We don’t need any scars on your pretty skin.”</p><p>Without giving Justin a chance to protest, he was led towards the entrance of the club, Zhengting trailing after them. They were greeted by the two men who stood at the entrance with their arms in front of them and Justin got the sinking feeling that if he were to break in earlier, they would have been the ones to deal with him.</p><p>They were led over to some plush looking seats that were around a table on the front porch area, perfectly spotless and clean despite the surroundings. The man gently led Justin to sit down before he sat himself, and Zhengting was on his other side. “Let me see your hand,” he said softly as Justin offered him one of his partially bloody palms.</p><p>The blond had picked up a shard of glass earlier on in their walk and used it to cut his hand when he fell, but he didn’t plan for it to cut as deep as it did. The man tutted and used one of the cloth napkins that was at the table to wrap his hand up as he motioned for a waiter to come over and fetch them water.</p><p>“We don’t want this to get infected, now do we?” The man smiled and all Justin felt that he could do was return a shaky one back. Thankfully, Zhengting had slid closer to the man and rested one hand on his lap.</p><p>“Thank you for taking care of my sister. You really helped us out,” Zhengting flashed a pretty smile and Justin was sure he could see a hint of protectiveness behind it. That, or he was just imagining things.</p><p>The man didn’t seem to catch it though and puffed his chest out a bit at Zhengting’s compliment. “Oh, not a problem! I’m a doctor after all, so I can’t just leave a patient to suffer like that!”</p><p>Zhengting reached over the man and gently rapped on Justin’s leg. He purposely slid his hand over the doctor’s lap, the gentle white fabric that was attached to his bracelet flowed with the gesture. “Nana, don’t forget to say thank you as well!”</p><p>Justin was stunned for a moment, watching how Zhengting could make even the simplest gestures look enticing, before batting his eyes and looking up at the man that was now presenting red cheeks between them. “Th-thank you, sir. I’m sorry to have troubled you.”</p><p>The man relaxed a bit as Zhengting pulled away, but Justin could tell his eyes were following the magicant’s graceful movement. Another difference between them. “Again, not a problem at all.” He cleared his throat and glanced around the open area. Waving one of the servers over, the doctor said something softly and the server nodded before disappearing deeper into the club. “If you’d excuse me, I will be back in just a moment.”</p><p>Justin watched as the doctor got up and left the two of them, greeting another patron on his way. Zhengting slid closer to Justin to inspect the cut on his hand and swore softly. “You know, when I said you had to get attention, I didn’t mean for you to do this.”</p><p>Justin shrugged in response and glanced around the club. The front half of it was open, a roof held up by several columns over their head. Several tables were set out and all surrounded by plush chairs that looked to be identical. On the other side, men sat in groups and were adorned with scantily clad women on either side. They sat there to flaunt their wealth, any passerby probably envious of their status. It was people like this Justin had no qualms about stealing from, more along the lines of thinking they deserved it and needed to be taught a lesson instead.</p><p>While Zhengting and Justin sat there in silence, the blond moved his head down and did his best to listen to other conversations. They were about something he didn’t understand, making some sort of business transaction about some precious jewels. If Chengcheng were with him, he would probably understand it better and be able to figure out a plan to steal them. The old Chengcheng that was. He doubted the current one would do anything to anyone here currently.</p><p>Just as the conversation was turning towards something else, the doctor had walked back out with someone else by his side. The new man wore a gentle expression on his face and smiled softly at the pair as they walked over. Zhengting stood and placed one arm in front of Justin protectively, but the younger couldn’t help the gasp that escaped him. Their new doctor friend had walked out with Yanchen, the man who went out on the poach with Wenjun and Chengcheng several nights ago. Justin felt a wave of anger rise in him, thought he knew it was unjustly placed. This man had helped influence the change Chengcheng and that left Justin with a bitter taste in his mouth.</p><p>“Oh, you don’t have to worry! He’s a friend,” the doctor said as Zhengting stood up. “This is Zhou Yanchen, he’s a traveling doctor. Knows all sorts of things, so he might have some better materials on him then I would.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t discredit yourself like that Ziyi,” Yanchen said with a smile. He pushed his thin wire glasses further up the bridge of his nose and slid off a bag that Justin hadn’t even noticed was on his back. “I just peddle my medicines to those who need it, like this little lady here.” Justin felt himself flare up once more inside, wanting to take out his hidden blades and send them right into the throat of the smiley doctor, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He looked too damn kind for his own good.</p><p>“Th-thank you, sir,” Justin said and held out his cut hand. The bleeding had stopped, but the gash still looked bad. Yanchen let out a small hum as he reached into his bag and pulled out an odd looking bottle of something green, followed by some bandages.</p><p>He went on to prattle about what was in the mixture, but Justin had stopped listening almost immediately. On the other side of the patio, someone had come to approach the group that was the most active, with several people situated around one table. He wasn’t as well dressed as the men, but he seemed to be younger, perhaps some sort of messenger. It wasn’t his presence there that really made Justin adjust his focus, it was the mention of Wenjun’s name.</p><p>“Sir? The newcomer who was challenged by Zero the Destroyer just entered. His name is Bi Wenjun, sir.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was made with the pictures of Zhengting and Justin in their outfits from the cosplay fan meet permeating my brain.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Who the Destroyer?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting watched Justin’s lapse in attention from his position on Ziyi’s side. He had been focused on watching the younger’s expression as the medicine was applied, but Justin hadn’t been reacting much. It was almost as if the hand that was being helped didn’t belong to him at all. Instead, his reaction was delayed, a quick hiss of pain and the urge to retract his hand, but Yanchen kept a firm grip.</p>
<p>“Just a little more, then we need to tie it up. You can handle that, right?” Justin hesitated before nodding. His gaze flickered up to meet Zhengting’s for a moment and the younger nodded slightly. A sign that something was happening.</p>
<p>Zhengting glanced around and saw someone leaving the table that was situated on the other end of the patio. The men there had become abuzz with some new topic, the girls that were attached to their arms looking bored.</p>
<p>“Haven’t I heard this name before? I’m sure that Wenjun kid is famous for something,” one of the men, the older one with a beard, spoke slowly. “I can’t quite recall.”</p>
<p>“Famous or not, there’s no way anyone would be on him! No one can take down Zero the Destroyer! He’s felled every beast that’s been sent in there and no man has even gotten close to taking him down!” The other man, who appeared to be younger, argued back. The girl on his right yawned and glanced over at Zhengting. The magicant watched as she excused herself and went over to them, her hips swaying with each step.</p>
<p>“Hey hey, you’re the newbie right? Go over there and sit with them, I’m tired of listening to all this arena talk. I’m heading inside.” Without another word, she headed through the entrance of the building, swatting away the cloth that covered it.</p>
<p>The four of them watched in a stunned silence at the scene before exchanging confused glances. The other group seemed to have heard, because next thing Zhengting knew, he was being beckoned over to join them.</p>
<p>Ziyi grabbed onto Zhengting’s arm. “You don’t work here, do you? You can say no and we can go get the girl that left if you need us to.” He seemed genuine enough, but Zhengting knew this was his chance to get some information.</p>
<p>“It’s just for a little bit, right? I don’t think it would hurt anyone…” He glanced towards Justin for a moment. The younger’s face practically begged not to be left alone. “But would you mind if I troubled you to look after my sister? I don’t want to leave her alone just yet…”</p>
<p>“Please, leave it to us!” Ziyi nodded with a smile and squeezed Zhengting’s arm comfortingly. “We can watch over her.”</p>
<p>The magicant gave them a soft smile and dipped his head in thanks before moving over to where the other group was sitting. He felt the gazes of the men rake over him, but chose to ignore it. He gently took a seat down next to the older gentleman and almost immediately felt a hand position itself around his waist. The fingers dug into his side in a way that was almost possessive, a feeling that made Zhengting’s skin crawl.</p>
<p>The younger man snorted as he picked up a drink. “I didn’t know they were hiring flats too,” he muttered with a gesture towards Zhengting’s chest. He pretended to be offended, puffing up his cheeks and furrowing his eyebrows playfully, which caused the older man to laugh.</p>
<p>“Now now, the best part about women is that they all come with their own charms,” the older man added a wink at the end, which made Zhengting giggle. If only he knew how much “charm” was in the magicant’s pants.</p>
<p>“Anyway, back to the fight. Don’t tell me you actually plan on betting on this Wenjun kid?” The younger man leaned back in his chair and swirled his drink in one hand. “I don’t think anyone could even land a hit on Zero.”</p>
<p>The older man rubbed his hand up and down Zhengting’s side, but seemed to be doing it to hide his irritation based on how rough the motion was. “Well, I’m sure if Zero didn’t think he was a worthy opponent, he wouldn’t have challenged him to this duel. So why not try out this new fighter?”</p>
<p>“You’re daft old man! Zero is the strongest fighter this arena has ever seen! Make your bets, but be prepared to hand me over that money when all is said and done.” In an angry fit, the younger man smashed the glass on the table that was in front of them. It shattered and flew out in all directions. Zhengting felt a piece slice through his arm and whimpered at the sudden pain. It wasn’t as bad as the slice from the bandit’s sword, which wasn’t as deep as he originally thought, but it was the shock that got him mostly. “God I need another drink. Both of you, with me.”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt his arm tugged on as he was dragged by the younger man. He was being led to the interior portion of the club, not that he really wanted to. He could hear Justin say something, the younger standing up and looking worried, but Zhengting couldn’t get a word in before he was pulled into the club.</p>
<p>Compared to the mostly bright patio, the inside of the club was dull and scented with something vile. Zhengting couldn’t help but bring one hand up to his nose as the scent flowed around him. It wasn’t like anything he smelled before and made him lightheaded. It was floral, almost, but there was something deeper to it that he couldn’t quite pin down. The deeper they went in, the stronger it got until they reached a bar.</p>
<p>The young man who pulled him into the bar kept Zhengting next to him, as well as an actual call girl by his other side. He began furiously ordering something from the bartender in another language, none of which made any sense to Zhengting. He merely stood there and looked around to see many other people engaging into less than savory actions in the seats that were placed here and there around some of the table. He wasn’t unfamiliar to many of these intimate interactions, but the audacity to do them around so many others was impressive.</p>
<p>“So, when did they hire you?” Zhengting jumped as the voice came from uncomfortably close to his ear. The man’s breath smells heavily of alcohol, probably from whatever he was drinking outside, and now was only amplified by whatever shot he just ordered. His hands soon were over Zhengting as well, slipping dangerously under the hem his flowy pants.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but I don’t actually work here,” Zhengting tried to slowly back away before he bumped into another patron. The man who was sitting at the bar jumped slightly and gave an annoyed glance in Zhengting’s direction.</p>
<p>“Aw, c’mon now. The more I look at you the better you look…” The man’s hands began to explore more of Zhengting’s exposed skin, his lips going at the magicant’s neck softly. Zhengting really did not want to make a scene, but he was reaching his limit.</p>
<p>“Sir, please, if you don’t mind I’d like to go back out to my sister-” Zhengting felt a pair of lips cover his to shut him up. Not only was the other man drunk, he was a shitty kisser, and Zhengting was decidedly not in the mood for a shitty kisser. He pushed back the man and stumbled himself into the other person sitting at the bar once more, who now turned to see why he had gotten bumped into twice within a matter of minutes.</p>
<p>“Excuse you, slut, what right do you think you have to push me away? I could destroy this whole club if I wanted to!” He supported himself on the bar with one arm. Several of the other girls had gone towards him in an attempt to calm him down while sending silent glares in Zhengting’s direction.</p>
<p>“Sir, I’m trying to tell you,” Zhengting bit his lip and tried to calm himself down. “I. Do. Not. Work. Here.”</p>
<p>“Oh really? Then why are you dressed like a fucking slut? You’re just waiting to get fucked!” The man looked around before grabbing a drink from a nearby couple and quickly gulping it down without regard to their protests.</p>
<p>“I-I…” Zhengting bit his tongue until he felt a gentle hand on his arm. He noticed the man that he bumped into stand up and move in front of him. The magicant had to hold back an initial giggle, as the man was shorter than him, but was familiar somehow. It wasn’t until he began to talk that Zhengting recognized him.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but I don’t know if you heard her. She obviously doesn’t work here and you probably dragged her in. I suggest you leave her alone if you know what’s good for you,” the man spoke evenly and without much fear in his voice. Though the tone was different from what it had been earlier, Zhengting recognized it. It was the man who challenged Wenjun to a battle for his horse earlier. What was his name again?</p>
<p>“Yeah? And what are you going to do, stop me?” The man taunted before moving forward to grab Zhengting once more. His hand never ended up making contact. Instead, a familiar looking glaive had flown in front of Zhengting and stuck itself into the top of the wooden bar. A silence filled the club as the glaive was soon followed by the silently fuming figure of Wenjun. Yanchen and Ziyi were awkwardly hovering at the entrance, Justin and Chengcheng both out of sight, if they were there.</p>
<p>“He’ll have nothing left to get to if I have my way with you first,” Wenjun said slowly, yanking the tip of his glaive out of the bar. “If you had left her alone, you’d have been much better off.”</p>
<p>The man had slid down the side of the bar and onto the floor with wide eyes. Zhengting watched as the other patrons of the club all turned to stare at them, a hush falling over the scene. With a shaky finger, the drunken man pointed at Wenjun. “What right do you have to be attacking me like this!?”</p>
<p>“What?” Wenjun shot a murderous glare down in the man’s direction. The mercenary moved to take Zhengting’s hand in his own. “What right? I have the right to protect my partner. If anyone else dares mess with her,” at this point his gaze swept around those are the club. Zhengting could feel Wenjun shaking and gently squeezed his hand back. “You’ll suffer the wrath of Bi Wenjun.”</p>
<p>Without waiting for a response, Wenjun led Zhengting out of the club with a huff. Zhengting glanced over his shoulder at the man who was trembling on the floor and the other challenger who was standing there with a bewildered look on his face. While he thought about giving them a playful expression, the strong tug in his arm made it difficult to pull it off.</p>
<p>Once outside, Zhengting was met with Chengcheng, Justin, Ziyi, and Yanchen all clustered around the table Ziyi had first taken them to. Justin was sitting his head hanging down and Chengcheng next to him. The older of the two looked pissed off, though not quite as upset as Wenjun. On the other couch was Ziyi and Yanchen. While Ziyi looked somewhat lost as Zhengting and Wenjun approached them, Yanchen didn’t seem to share the same sentiment as he sipped on his drink casually.</p>
<p>Zhengting was led over to the only open couch and sat down awkwardly next to Wenjun. The mercenary was silent as Yanchen poured him a drink. Somehow Zhengting couldn’t figure out which was scarier: the fact that Wenjun was silent or the fact that he was drinking. They both seemed to show that he was properly upset.</p>
<p>“... So do either of you want to explain what’s going on here?” After a few tense moments of silence, Wenjun set his cup down and glanced between Justin and Zhengting. Neither responded right away and instead exchanged guilty looks.</p>
<p>To the side, Ziyi awkwardly cleared his throat and leaned in a bit. “If I may?” At Wenjun’s nod, he continued. “While I have clue what led to these circumstances, I do know that your friends were not brought here by much choice. You see, Nana had fallen outside and cut her hand on a shard of glass, so I offered to help. Zhengting- that is your name, yes? Zhengting had simply accompanied her sister in and was swept up by the young master who was sitting over there.”</p>
<p>Chengcheng snorted and narrowed his eyes behind his goggles. “I thought you’d learn some new tricks by now,” he chided and gently nudged Justin. “Don’t fall victim for one moment bro. You planned this, didn’t you?”</p>
<p>Justin sat in silence and stared down at his hand. Zhengting assumed that Chengcheng had said something to him prior to this conversation and Justin was in no mood to talk. Instead, the blond kept a gloomy silence and a small pout on his lips.</p>
<p>“You’re saying… That you planned this?” Ziyi asked. His wide eye stare wasn’t missed by Chengcheng, who laughed again.</p>
<p>“Well, maybe not Zhengting getting caught up with the drunk guy, but getting in at least? I would be surprised if they didn’t.” Again, neither Justin or Zhenting said anything. Yanchen had finished whatever he was drinking and placed the cup down onto the table between them all.</p>
<p>“Well, everyone is safe, aren’t they? That should be all that matters now.” Yanchen smiled with a nod. He glanced back as some people exited the club and hurried past their table. “Besides, I’m sure getting information on your opponent no matter the method is always important.”</p>
<p>Zhengting and Justin’s heads both shot up to look at the traveler with equally surprised expressions. “How did you know?” Justin spoke for the first time since he had reemerged on the patio.</p>
<p>Yanchen simply smiled and leaned back in his seat. “Perhaps we should talk about this in a better environment?” Wenjun nodded and stood up, making sure to not loosen his grip on Zhengting’s hand.</p>
<p>“Let’s head elsewhere. And maybe we can hear a better explanation from the both of you.” The mercenary fixed both Justin and Zhengting with a hard glare before leading them out. Without turning around, he addressed both Yanchen and Ziyi. “You are welcome to join us as well.”</p>
<p>The group of six got up and left the club without so much as another word. Wenjun led them through the city, Zhengting awkwardly lingering by his side. The taller seemed to just radiate anger, so he didn’t want to get too close, but it was difficult to hang back when your hand was being held. At some point, while they were going through the crowd, Zhenting felt the mercenary’s hand interlock their fingers. While in most cases it would be considered a romantic gesture, Zhengting wasn’t sure if that was the case here.</p>
<p>Things with Wenjun had gone mostly back to normal in Zhengting’s opinion. Though, he never was sure if they actually ever had a normal to begin with. Things were strained, yes, but the mercenary also usually was always there to back Zhengting up when he really needed it. He had grown used to the taller’s comforting presence, but now things had become a bit more sticky.</p>
<p>In Zhengting’s heart, he knew the mercenary was slowly gaining a special place in it. If he was anything like his past self, Zhengting would have just tried to gobble him up for his body and call it another fling for the books. However, he felt closer to Wenjun in a different way from all those one-offs he had before. During their travels, they could often lapse into an easy conversation about nothing, really, but the simplicity of it always put Zhengting at ease. It was something he had only been able to do with Xingjie, but the barkeeper had always closed himself off to Zhengting and made sure to keep the boundary as just friends very strong. Wenjun, as guarded as he tried to be, was much more open. Much more welcoming. Perhaps to Zhengting’s brain, thirsty of any kind of real connection, too welcoming.</p>
<p>So, to be at the receiving end of the mercenary’s ire was damaging to say the least. He knew Wenjun to be angry when scary, hell he’d faced it before, but this silent anger seemed to carry far more weight to it. It was something that went beyond annoyance of a stranger tagging onto him. Possibly a more genuine form of concern, but Zhengting wasn’t completely sure of that bit just yet.</p>
<p>Once they made it back to the inn, the group shuffled into Zhengting and Justin’s room. Inside was still the remnants of their discarded clothes from earlier in the day. The mess of tan clothes laid in heaps on their respective beds and Zhengting felt the uncomfortable slide of Wenjun’s gaze going from the clothes back to Zhengting.</p>
<p>“I believe it would be best if you changed first,” the mercenary spoke with a chilly tone. Zhengting only nodded and scurried out of the room with Justin to change. They left behind a rather confused looking Ziyi and a curious Yanchen as they swiftly changed clothes in the other room.</p>
<p>Once they returned, they were met with a gasp from Ziyi who watched them walk back in with an openly shocked expression. Chengcheng was silently chuckling to himself on one of the beds, Wenjun shaking his head next to him.</p>
<p>“Did I miss something?” Justin went to stand against the nightstand that was in between the two beds. He looked between Chengcheng and Ziyi for a moment before Yanchen spoke up.</p>
<p>“Well, you see our doctor friend here… Didn’t quite realize who you two really were. At least, your true selves.” Yanchen added with a small chuckle as Ziyi merely groaned in embarrassment and hid his face in his hands.</p>
<p>“We were that pretty, huh?” Zhengting winked as he went to stand at the end of the bed by Wenjun. The mercenary in return gave him a wicked pinch to the arm. “Ow! Did not deserve that you monster!”</p>
<p>“Did too,” Wenjun muttered under his breath. There was a small glimmer of amusement that returned to his eyes as he glanced up at Zhengting. That eased the magicant slightly as he crossed his arms and pretended to look offended.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Chengcheng scooted forward on the bed so he was facing Ziyi and Yanchen, both of whom had taken up the chairs from the desk and were sitting in the space between the two beds. “Now that we have that out of the way, we have bigger issues to face.”</p>
<p>Yanchen arched one brow. “Such as?”</p>
<p>“We need you to tell us about that fighter who everyone’s talking about,” Justin cut in, nodding towards Wenjun. “He was dragged into a fight at the colosseum that everyone’s been talking about. And his opponent is the reigning champ. I think his name was Zero the Destroyer?”</p>
<p>“No, it’s no Zero the Destroyer, it’s Devin the Destroyer!” Chengcheng said with a sharp look up at Justin. “Where’d you get Zero from?”</p>
<p>“Guys, I don’t think either of those are right,” Wenjun said with a sigh. “When I was signing up, there was a slot for David the Destroyer, so I think that’s our guy.”</p>
<p>“Wait, are they copycats of the champs or something?” Zhengting furrowed his brows in confusion.</p>
<p>“No, they’re… All the champion, alright,” Ziyi spoke up. He had composed himself from his earlier mishap and took on an equally serious expression. “He’s not good at sticking with one name, so it seems like every round he comes up with a new one. Show an image of him to anyone around here, though, and they’ll be able to get at the very least ‘the Destroyer’ right.</p>
<p>“You see, though the seating area is large, not everyone can go in at once. You can usually tell the last time someone went to a colosseum even by what they’re calling the champ. The fights only happen once a month and this would be his fourth round in it.” Everyone stared at Ziyi for a moment, their curiosity about how he obtained this information was clear. Clearing his throat, he sat up a bit straighter in his seat. “Sorry, I work as a doctor at the colosseum’s infirmary. You get to know a thing or two about the fighters after they come through once or twice.”</p>
<p>“And that’s why I was speaking to him,” Yanchen said with a nod. “There have been some peculiar cases that have been going around and they all seem to lead back to the colosseum here. So, I’m conducting a bit of an investigation while my partner searches elsewhere.”</p>
<p>“What kind of ‘cases’ are they?” Wenjun glanced towards Zhengting, but the magicant’s eyes were focused on Yanchen. The traveling doctor looked concerned for a moment before he relented.</p>
<p>“They’re cases of fake magicants.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter came about because I wanted a joke about how many names Zeren has gone through. And I thought I was indecisive!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Search Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting felt something in him freeze at Yanchen’s words. In an instant, he was brought back to their earlier fight. The face of the man who harnessed the power of flames before withering up into nothing seared his mind’s eyes as Yanchen continued to speak.</p>
<p>“You see, there are more and more cases of people coming out as magicants. They were a race of people who were long considered dead, so at first, no one believed them. Then, all of a sudden there were people, grown adults, coming out and controlling elements. Though, none of them seemed to live long.</p>
<p>Not too long after they were revealed to have these powers, they were found dead. The magic had withered away their life force and left them as husks of who they used to be.” Yanchen pulled out something from his bag. In it was a bottle filled with some deep purple ash-like substance. It floated around with a light shimmer and looked as if it would disappear within moments. “If you try to touch the bodies, they disappear into this.”</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t know quite what it was, but he began to shake. His vision began to go cloudy as tears streamed down his face. Holding back a sob, he felt Wenjun’s form soon envelop him in a hug and whispering things to him. They did nothing to quell the fear that was welling up inside Zhengting.</p>
<p>People, possibly individuals related to <em>his</em> people, were dying. They were being destroyed by their own magic and disappearing into dust. And he had just begun actively using his own magic not too long ago. Would the same happen to him? Would he wither away to nothing and eventually become just a cloud of purple dust that would be lost on the wind?</p>
<p>Somehow, his thoughts began to subside as a strong, but gentle hand made Zhengting take a seat on his bed and began to slowly rub circles around his back. Wenjun’s voice, though low and distant, was just audible over the sound of Zhengting’s own incoherent thoughts. The words were hard to make out, but the magicant tried to cling to them as much as he could. The rest of the world was dead to him, save for the thoughts that bounced around his head and Wenjun’s calming voice as background noise.</p>
<p>Trying his best to clear the haze from his head, Zhengting found himself trying to focus on being back in the room. He blinked the tears away from his eyes as everyone’s worried faces slowly came back into focus. Justin was crouched at his feet and even Chengcheng was hovering nearby, obviously worried. Wenjun had Zhengting almost on his lap, one of the magicant’s thighs overlapping with the mercenary’s lap. It was hard to say how exactly they got to sitting like that, but it somehow didn’t properly compute in Zhengting’s head.</p>
<p>“S-sorry… I’m okay,” Zhengting whispered, but that didn’t seem to do much to deter his friends’ worry. “I just was thinking about things too much.”</p>
<p>On Zhengting’s other side, the bed had dipped down a bit. Looking over, Yanchen’s bespectacled face was worried, but a small smile pulled at his lips. “Zhengting, yes? May I ask you something?” The brunette nodded his head, though still was a bit withdrawn. How did this stranger even know so much in the first place? “May I ask… Are you a true magicant?”</p>
<p>Almost as soon as the words left Yanchen’s lips, Justin was on him in a moment, rope dart looped once around the traveling doctor’s throat and the blade held close to the jugular. Zhengting has seen the blond mad before. Even when he spoke about Yibo he never showed this fierce of an emotion or wore the chilly expression that he was right then. His eyes were like chips of ice, just waiting for Zhengting to tell him to pull the rope tighter. “Watch yourself.”</p>
<p>Yanchen froze and didn’t move any further. Zhengting didn’t call Justin off right away as he felt Wenjun’s grip tighten around his waist where one hand had stopped rubbing and found itself right over Zhengting’s hip. It reassured him that he wasn’t completely alone. Even if he was among the last of his people, his friends were there for him and had his back.</p>
<p>“And if I am?” The small voice that came from him didn’t feel like it was Zhengting’s at all, but it had come from his mouth. He tried to swallow, but there was an uncomfortable lump in his throat that didn’t seem like it was going to leave any time soon.</p>
<p>His mind flickered back to when Wenjun’s group attacked. At first, when he was simply to be the bed warmer to the leader was one thing, but once they found out his origin, it was all over. The myth behind magicants and how they often fetch a fair price on the black market wasn’t unheard of and the idea that Yanchen would sell him out lingered in the back of Zhengting’s head.</p>
<p>Yanchen let out a steady breath and closed his eyes. “Then I will let you know you are in safe hands. I believe you’ve already met with my partner, Xingjie? He said he had made contact with who we believe to be the last magicant, but I wasn’t aware it was you until now. My sincerest apologies for being unclear.”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt something in his stomach drop. Xingjie, his only friend for years, had some unknown background with his Yanchen person and never said a thing? For some reason, Zhengting found it somewhat easy to believe, given how distant the barkeep always was. That didn’t stop the realization from being a major blow. Perhaps now it made sense as to why Zhengting was never ratted out in that tiny town they were in. He supposed in most cases, it would have been wisest to sell Zhengting off to the highest bidder, but Xingjie had never told a soul of Zhengting’s true origin despite knowing the truth. And if he was Yanchen’s partner, then this traveling doctor must be just as trustworthy. At least, he hoped so.</p>
<p>“You can let him go Justin.” The young thief wavered for a moment before following Zhengting’s order. He undid his rope and slinked back over to Chengcheng, but kept a watchful eye on Yanchen. He didn’t seem to be as trusting as Zhengting. “He’s a friend.”</p>
<p>Yanchen nodded hurriedly and glanced back at Ziyi for a moment. “Sorry for asking such a difficult question. I understand your apprehension and defense for your friend, but I must rule out all possibilities. If this issue isn’t solved quickly, we may lose many more people.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean by losing more people?” Wenjun’s voice was filled with uncharacteristically sharp anger and his hold around Zhengting’s waist tightened further.</p>
<p>“All the people who we’ve found as fake magicants, dead or alive, were all participants here at the colosseum. It seems that once they lose a match, seeing that they have some life left in them afterwards, they’re brought elsewhere. They’re gone for a few days before reemerging as the newest magicant.” Yanchen explained. He rubbed at his neck for a moment, an angry red line forming around it from Justin’s rope.</p>
<p>Ziyi nodded, though still seemed somewhat uneasy. “I mainly deal with continuing competitors, usually wrapping up cuts and wounds that may hinder them. I don’t deal with those who lose, truthfully, but I’ve come across them and the doctors who work there are all very… odd. So, when Yanchen approached me about the situation, I couldn’t say no to finally figuring what is happening behind closed doors. I never made the connection, but something about this all does seem peculiar.”</p>
<p>“So I’m not gonna end up as purple smoke?” Zhengting clarified as his hand wrapped itself around Wenjun’s thigh in a death grip.</p>
<p>Yanchen chuckled and shook his head. “No, if you are a magicant by blood, there are no fears. For now, we are worried about the new people who are being forced to become magicants, only to end up dead.”</p>
<p>“We met one of those, you know. In the desert,” Chengcheng had seemed intrigued on the topic and was listening to Yanchen and Ziyi’s discussion closely. He was casually draping himself over Justin’s shoulder, but nodding along as he listened. “Well, I didn’t personally. But Zhengting and Wenjun fought them. He ended up dying too. There was a huge mass of fire before it stopped and the whole group of bandits were dead. So, maybe that has something to do with it?”</p>
<p>“It was as if he couldn’t control his powers anymore. He was screaming for help before the fire stopped and collapsed to the ground. When we went over to investigate, it looked as if he had been dead for ages. His whole face was sunken in and his arm was burnt up.” Wenjun took over now. He tapped his finger on Zhengting’s side in thought as he slowly began to process Yanchen’s words. “Perhaps that’s what happens to people who don’t know how to use these powers?”</p>
<p>Yanchen nodded. “I believe that could be the case, but I have no confirmation. The first step in confirming my suspicions would be getting into wherever they’re doing the experimentation. The easiest way to do this would be losing a colosseum battle and being brought there myself, but with no help, the whole process would be useless. Instead, this is where I believe that you all may be able to assist me.”</p>
<p>“You’re not using my friends as testers for your theory!” Zhengting frowned and shifted to act as a barrier between Yanchen and the others. “Wenjun may be signing up to fight, but he doesn’t plan on losing! And Justin and Chengcheng aren’t going to sign up just so we have assurance that someone will be there!”</p>
<p>Yanchen blinked, not expecting Zhengting’s outburst. To some degree, even Chengcheng appeared to be shocked while Justin was beaming with happiness. “Yeah, that’s right! We’ll try to help you other ways, but we’re not going to just willingly have whatever weird magic-giving stuff done to us!”</p>
<p>Yanchen’s expression eventually melted into a soft smile, nodding thoughtfully. “Yes, I’m sorry for suggesting something like that. I see that you guys are confident in your friend’s ability. After fighting with Wenjun and watching the other champion’s matches, I too believe in Wenjun’s abilities to win.”</p>
<p>“Wait, you’ve watched this Destroyer guy’s matches?” Chengcheng inched forward over Justin to get closer towards Yanchen, a look of excitement on his face. “What does he fight like?”</p>
<p>Yanchen only gave him a bemused look. “Well, Adam, you’ve seen him as well, haven’t you? That night with the Death Worm.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of processing before realization hit, “Wait, that hunter was him!? I didn’t even think about it until now.” The older thief whipped around to face Wenjun. “Bro, you stole the champion’s horse!”</p>
<p>The room went silent at Chengcheng’s sudden declaration. All eyes turned towards Wenjun, who kept the same steely cool expression on his face that he had been wearing the whole time. The anticipation in the air was high as they awaited a response from the mercenary. Wenjun chewed on his bottom lip for a moment.</p>
<p>“Well, we’ll see what happens when we fight,” was all that he said before sliding his hand away from Zhengting’s waist and into his own lap. “For now, maybe we can talk to this Destroyer kid and see if we can get him in on this. Perhaps if we both make it to the final round, we both will know what to expect when whoever loses is taken away.”</p>
<p>Zhengting only realized how tight Wenjun’s grip on him was once it was broken, a small blush creeping across his cheeks. He paid little attention to Wenjun and Yanchen’s new conversation, the two of them discussing how to go about approaching the champion about this new plan. Chengcheng and Justin seemed to have forgotten about their previous dispute and were now excitedly talking about what the battles were like, which left Ziyi and Zhengting to be awkwardly silent and caught between the two conversations. The doctor was more intent on listening to Yanchen and Wenjun’s side, but Zhengting didn’t miss the way his eyes occasionally darted over to him and Justin. It was as if he still didn’t believe that they weren’t who he thought they were.</p>
<p>Zhengting shook his head and got up off the bed. He placed one hand on Wenjun’s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. “I’m going to go outside and see if I can find us something to eat. You all can stay here, I’ll try not to be out for very long.”</p>
<p>Before Wenjun could debate the topic, Zhengting pulled his cloak off of Justin’s bed and left the room without another word. He made sure to pull the hood of it over his head as he walked out of the inn and back into the city.</p>
<p>Sometime during their conversation, the sun had fallen and night had plagued the city. Torches littered the city and gave the bejeweled buildings an ethereal glow to them. Zhengting looked around and tried to remember which way the main bazaar was.</p>
<p>Heading in a direction opposite from where he went with Justin earlier, Zhengting began to wander towards the most vibrant part of the city. It was a large open area filled with tents that hosted a whole variation of items. From jewelry to exotic tableware and even delicate looking decorations, it seemed as if entire collections were all hosted at this bazaar. And, included among these, were foods from all over the land that could make someone drool on scent alone.</p>
<p>Zhengting slowly made his way through the crowds, glancing at the various tables that were set up. While some of the fancier items had caught his attention, he knew he had to ignore his own curiosity and be back soon. Wenjun’s battle at the colosseum was not for a few days, so perhaps they could go out and look through the bazaar together in a completely non-date kind of way. Just two friends, going through the city, exploring the shops, absolutely nothing behind it. That was all.</p>
<p>Zhengting felt heat rise in his cheeks at the thought and furiously shook his head. There was no way that Wenjun would even begin to think of them as something like that. The mercenary was already disgusted enough at Zhengting’s actions when they all went to the beach together, so it was easy enough to assume that it would remain the same kind of uneasy, but functioning friendship between them for as long as they traveled together.</p>
<p>Just good friends.</p>
<p>That’s it.</p>
<p>Shouting from Zhengting’s left brought him out of his admittedly upsetting train of thoughts. A group of people were all crowding in front of one stand, the man holding up a collection of papers in his hand. On it, Zhengting could make out some kind of picture, followed by an intimidating amount of words. He wasn’t well versed in things with words on them, but he was certain this had to be a newspaper. His own hometown had released them once a month and Xingjie was always kind enough to read the important sections aloud to Zhengting, but never once had he seen so many of them at once or so many people reading them. Curious, he went in after the crowd and tried to see what they were all looking at.</p>
<p>On the front was an image from inside the dimly lit area, making the picture grainy and hard to figure out. Several forms were visible, a woman and three men, all looking angry at something and a broken table of sorts behind them. That was, until Zhengting recognized the photo. It was the same shop he and Justin were at earlier. The broken table, now looking more like a bar, had a very familiar glaive sticking out of it and the tallest man had a very Wenjun appearance on it. The other man one the floor was the drunk who had pulled Zhengting in there in the first place and behind the scantily clad woman was the challenger who had approached Wenjun. Of course, though, the woman he saw was in fact no woman at all, but Zhengting himself. They had made it into the newspaper in record time. How would something like this even be made this quickly?</p>
<p>Pushing his way through the crowd, Zhengting swiped one of the newspapers from the front of the stand. It seemed even more intimidating in his hands now that he held it. There were large words printed above the top of it, indicating whatever scandal people believed it to be, followed by the picture and the scary amount of words under it. He stared at the words, wishing now more than ever he could actually read fluently, before feeling a tug on the back of his cloak.</p>
<p>“Move it kid, you’re blocking the way!” A rather gruff sounded upset as Zhengting was tossed backwards into the street. The crowd seemed to swallow up where he stood, more and more people taking the newspaper and furiously whispering to friends about it. As Zhengting regained his footing in the middle of the road, he felt his hood fall back, a few heads turning his way. Soon, a few heads turned into more and more, until it felt like the whole road was staring at Zhengting and the newspaper in his hand.</p>
<p>“Hey isn’t that the girl from this article?” Someone shouted before the world erupted into chaos. Everyone was shouting at Zhengting all at once, trying to get him to answer one question or another. He was suddenly cornered by people who all wanted a million things from him that he didn’t even have the answer too. Their voices weren’t even registering in his head, instead just turning into a roar that overtook nearly everything else.</p>
<p>Looking around, Zhengting spotted a single small opening in the crowd and made a run for it before it was lost. The voices continued to shout after him as he ran, but after a few blind turns and mindless running later, they had slowly faded away into the distance. Zhengting still was clutching the newspaper in one hand as he looked around the new place he was. Somewhere ahead, the monster of the colosseum loomed over the magicant. It was beautifully carven by whatever stone appeared naturally in the cave system. It was directly under the largest hole in the ceiling and wasn’t lit up by as many torches as the rest of the city. Instead, the light colored stone sparkled from the moonlight that poured down from the ceiling.</p>
<p>With a strong sigh of relief, Zhengting pulled the hood back over his head and began to wander around. This part of the city seemed deserted and was the perfect place to hide until the commotion died down. Maybe they could send Chengcheng and Justin out for food instead. They weren’t in the newspaper after all.</p>
<p>“It looks pretty, doesn’t it?” A voice came out from the darkness behind Zhengting, causing him to spin around and draw his sword towards the stranger. At the tip of the sword, the champion stood here. Strapped onto his back was a massive broadsword that looked like it weighed more than the wielder. His hands were held up in the air in a gesture that offered no harm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Care to chat?”</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t say anything, but slowly lowered his sword. With a smile from the shorter man, he was led over to one of the various steps that lined the side of the building where the champion took a seat and motioned for Zhengting to join him. When Zhengting didn’t move from his spot, the champion only sighed.</p>
<p>“So you’ve seen the paper?” He motioned to the bundle of papers, now incredibly crumpled, in Zhengting’s hand. The magicant only nodded, keeping an icy silence. “Yeah, I didn’t realize you were with him. Sorry about that. It looks like the press made it more of a mess than what it really was.”</p>
<p>Zhengting perked up, slowly moving to stand near the champion. He didn’t feel like a threatening character, but the large sword on his back, that was now resting on the step behind him, seemed to indicate he could possibly be one. “You can read?”</p>
<p>The champion looked shocked for a moment, before raising one brow. “You can’t?”</p>
<p>Zhengting shook his head. “I came from a pretty small town… I could do my job well enough, so I was never taught beyond some basics.”</p>
<p>The champion nodded as he leaned back on the steps. “Common story. Did that guy save you from a brothel or something?”</p>
<p>Zhengting wrinkled his nose with a fervent shake of his head. “No! Why would I work there? I managed an inn and a bar.”</p>
<p>There was a heartbeat of silence before the realization dawned on the champion’s face and he glanced Zhengting up and down. “I didn’t-”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt laughter bubble out of him and plopped down next to the champion and adjusted his hood. It would be bad enough if a random passerby noticed the champion, but having Zhengting there would only make the rumors grow. “Don’t worry about it! That just means my disguise worked.”</p>
<p>They sat there in an awkward silence for a moment as the champion read through the article. He didn’t seem to be phased by it very much as he passed the newspaper back over to Zhengting with a shrug. “It doesn’t say much besides trying to start something between me and your boyfriend. I just want my horse back bro,” the champion shrugged his shoulders and stood up. Zhengting felt the urge to shout, to say something about Wenjun not being his boyfriend and only being a traveling companion, but held back. If that’s what the paper from this desert-cursed city wanted to say, fine. They can have their way, even if it was wrong. But that doesn’t mean that they would ever actually date. Wenjun was far too good for Zhengting.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Zhengting whispered before rolling up the paper and tucking it in between his belt and cloak. It probably would become somewhat crushed and unreadable on the way back, but that didn’t bother him too much. Maybe the picture would be ruined beyond recognition and when he gave it someone to read aloud to him, they wouldn’t actually know what it was about.</p>
<p>The champion nodded before standing up with a stretch. In the dull light of the flames, he seemed different than when he was first confronting Wenjun. He was still short, but not quite as short as Zhengting first thought. His hair was held back by some kind of cloth headband and the hollow dimples on his cheeks were very apparent when he smiled. It was easy to see why the people would be closely following such an attractive champion. Yet, there was still a voice in Zhengting’s head that said how much more attractive Wenjun was is just about every way and he couldn’t really argue with it.</p>
<p>The more Zhengting examined, the more he thought of a plan. Would the others be mad if he brought home Wenjun’s apparent rival instead of food? Yes, but perhaps if they had the champion on their side, Yanchen’s plan would be far easier to execute. No one else would have to join the fight and no matter who won between the champion and Wenjun, they’d still have someone on the inside. It was a win-win all around. Besides, weren’t they planning on it regardless of this meeting? It would only make things simpler when it came down to it.</p>
<p>“Hey, I-”</p>
<p>“Have you seen-” the two looked at each other for a moment before the champion gestured for Zhengting to continue. “Go on.”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded awkwardly. “So, our friend, Yanchen, has a plan he kind of wanted to try out. It has to do with some of the suspicious stuff going on here at the colosseum. We think it might be easier if you join us for the investigation. Any interest?”</p>
<p>The champion’s face blossomed a tinge of pink under the flickering torch lights. His whole demeanor seemed to change once Yanchen’s name passed by Zhengting’s lips. His posture was a bit straighter and eyes a bit wider. He was at full attention. “Yes!” Zhengting raised one brow of the awkward suddenness of the agreement. It was odd to not be questioned, but he went with it. The champion coughed as if to cover up his overwhelming excitement. “I mean, I’d like to hear this plan for sure. Preferably from the mouth of this ‘Yanchen’ who is orchestrating it? I’m sure he has an idea on what he wants to do and could fill me in a bit more.”</p>
<p>Zhengting tried his best to hold back his amusement. It was obvious that the champion wasn’t as unaware of Yanchen as he tried to be and was nearly vibrating at the chance to go see him. Seeing through the champion was a breeze. With a slight smile, he stood up and joined the champion. “Well then, shall we get going?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Without a moment’s hesitation, the champion latched himself onto Zhengting’s side, a smile laced with nothing other than happiness growing across his face. “Oh, I should introduce myself. I’m Zeren, current champion of the colosseum!”</p>
<p>Zhengting inclined his head ever so slightly. So he did have a proper name after all. “You can call me Zhengting. I’m a traveling companion to Wenjun, the person who challenged and was with me earlier. Him and the rest of our group are at an inn with Yanchen. Follow me.”</p>
<p>Without another word, Zhengting turned to lead the champion back to the inn they were using as home base. There was an awkward silence that flowed between them, but somehow Zeren didn’t even seem to notice. Zhengting, on the other hand, was definitely sure Wenjun was going to be pissed he was coming back with something other than food. Well, at least he had something to bring back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to leave comments or kudos! I greatly appreciate them and love talking to people who do comment :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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